
Qass. 
Book 



INCIDENTS 



OF A 



WHALING VOYAGE. 

TO WHICH ARE ADDED OBSERVATIONS ON THE 

SCENERY, MANNERS AND CUSTOMS, AND MIS- 
SIONARY STATIONS, 

OF THE 
ACCOMPANIED BY NUMEROUS LITHOGRAPHIC PRINTS. 

BY FRANCIS ALLYN OLMSTED. 



<: 



NEW-YORK: '^ 
PUBLISHED BY D. APPLETON AND CO. 
1841. 






EktereDj according to Act of Congress, in Uie year 1841, by 

FRANCIS ALLYN OLMSTED, 

In the Clerk's Ofiice of the District Court of Connecticut. 



PREFACE 



During the latter part of my collegiate course, my 
health became very much impaired by a chronic 
debility of the nervous system, and soon after grad- 
uating, the cold air of Autumn admonished me to 
seek a milder clime for spending the winter. While 
deliberating upon what would be most desirable in 
accomplishing the purposes I had in view, a favora- 
ble opportunity was offered me to go out as pas- 
senger in the whale-ship ''North America," which 
was fitting out at Ncav- London for a voyage to 
the Pacific. From an erroneous prejudice against 
whalers, it was with great reluctance that I deter- 
mined upon embarking on this voyage, and many 
of my friends made sage predictions of the wretch- 
ed life to which I was consigning myself. A strong 
inclination for the sea, howeverj which had made 



IV PREFACE. 

ships and the ocean my admiration from boyhood, 
and a love of the adventurous, inclined me to a 
voyage in preference to any other plan for the re- 
covery of my health ; and its successful results have 
left me no reason to repent of my choice. 

With the exception of the interesting vv^ork by 
Beale, entitled '*The Sperm Whale Fishery/' I am 
not aware that any representations of whaling life 
have been exhibited proportionate to its adventurous 
character and importance. Entertaining sketches of 
the capture of the whale, have been written at dif- 
ferent times ; but they are generally the productions 
of those who were not spectators of the scenes they 
attempt to delineate, and must, of course, be want- 
ing in accuracy. I have endeavored to represent 
sea-life as it is; and should the reader, impatient to 
enter in medias res, think me tedious in getting under 
way, I have only to plead that the facts tvere so; and 
similar delays and vexations are believed to consti- 
tute a very ordinary part of sea-life. It has also 
been my constant endeavor throughout the narrative, 
to make a candid representation of occurrences, al- 
though I do not aspire to infallibility. 

Some parts of my narrative may appear to be 
wanting in exciting incident. My object has indeed 
been, to represent life in a somewhat novel aspect, 
but not by a sacrifice of truth or by an exaggerated 
picture. The common incidents of life, in their or- 



PREFACE. V 

dinary course, rarely exhibit much of the marvellous, 
and it is from the reality of their occurrence, in a 
great measure, that they excite permanent pleasure. 
A Marryatt, by weaving together the events of sev- 
eral voyages, and coloring the tissue with all the 
vividness of a lively imagination, gives to his sea 
sketches a brilliancy which a strict adherence to the 
common course of events would have denied him. 

The pictorial illustrations are selections from fifty 
or sixty sketches representing objects of natural his- 
tory, and scenes that interested me, taken originally 
in the sketch book I always carried with me, and 
finished oiF afterwards, as soon as possible. The 
great expense of these illustrations, forbids the intro- 
duction of a larger number into the work ; for the 
size of a work gives it a determinate price, from 
which even the most expensive illustrations will not 
admit of very great deviation, although embellish- 
ments of this kind are often as essential in forming 
a correct idea of a scene, as the printed page itself. 
Frequently indeed, they are of greater importance; 
for a single glance at a correct picture gives a far 
more vivid idea of a scene, than the most elaborate 
description. 

Some of the statistics of the Whale Fishery, were 
gathered after my return, and have reference to a 
date subsequent to that of the journal where they 
are introduced. This arrangement, although censu- 



VI PREFACE. 

rable as an anachronism, is not deemed inconsistent 
with the natm-e of the work, and is thought prefera- 
ble to multiplied notes. 

In conclusion, I have endeavored to represent the 
sailor in a favorable light, and to excite the kindness 
and sympathy of the benevolent in his behalf. If 
my efforts have been successful, and shall contribute 
to secure to the whaling business, that share of re- 
spectability which has been withheld from it through 
ignorance and prejudice, I shall esteem myself happy. 



One so young, and so Httle known to the public as the author, 
may, it is hoped, be permitted to annex the following certificate 
from Messrs. Havens & Smith, Hon. Thomas W. Williams, M. C, 
and Francis Allyn, Esq., Mayor of the city of New-London, to 
whom he had submitted his manuscript. Captain Smith is an 
experienced whaler, and has often visited the regions described 
in this work. 

New-London, May 5th, 184L 
Mr. F. A. Olmsted having submitted to our examination parts 
of his manuscript journal of a voyage in our ship " North Ameri- 
ca," in 1839 and '40, we take pleasure in testifying to the correct- 
ness of his descriptions of the Sperm Whale Fishery and the ac- 
companying plates, and we think he has the materials for an 
interesting work. 

HAVENS & SMITH. 

We concur in the above opinion. 

TH. W. WILLIAMS. 
FRANCIS ALLYN. 



CONTENTS 



CHAPTER I. 

Voyage to the Azores. — Embarkation — Man overboard — Super- 
stition of Seamen in respect to sailing on Friday — Discourage- 
ment at the commencement of the voyage — Description of a 
whale-boat and its appurtenances — Larboard and starboard 
watches — First aspect of the ocean — Gulf siream — A gale — Suf- 
ferings of an invalid on shipboard — Rainbows. - - Page 11 

CHAPTER n. 
Fayal. — Arrival atFayal — Appearance of the island — Situation of 
the town — Fortifications — Burdens carried by porters — Streets and 
buildings —Costumes of the different classes — Ladies of Fayal — 
Consul's gardens —Manufacture and exportation of wine —Casual- 
ties incident to the life of a whaler — Dinner at the Consul's — 
Supplies laid in at Fayal — Departure —Lunar bow. - 27 

CHAPTER KL 
Ship and »Shipmatks. — Ship North America— G-overnment aboard 
ship— Method of ascertaining the Latitude and Longitude — Ec- 
centricities of the cook— Amusementsof the fore-castle — Etiquette 
on board ship— Employments of the crew — Description of the 
several parts of the ship, and peculiarities in the construction of a 
whaler— Order and contentment of the crew — Library — Flying 
fish. 41 

CHAPTER IV. 
Whaling Scenes. — Attack and capture of whales — General appear- 
ance of the sperm whale— Great size of the respiratory organs 
and vascular system — Sympathy of cetaceous animals for each 
other — Inaccurate representations of the whale — Nature of blub- 
ber — " Cutting in " — Perils attending the process — Spermaceti — 
"Trying out." 56 

CHAPTER V. 
Crossing the Line. — Disagreeable and cruel tricks formerly prac- 
tised on the " Green Horn" - Ceremonies of initiation into the 
mysteries of Neptune — Novel and interesting aspect of the starry 
heavens in another hemisphere —Delightful weather — Phospho- 
rescence of the sea. -69 



Vlll CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER VI. 

Cruise in the South Atlantic. — Fall in with the " Messenger" of 
New-Bedford — Sickness on board this ship — Medical practice of 
sea-captains — Fall in with the " William and Eliza"^ — Social 
habits of whalers— Whaling Scenes — Versatility of talent requi- 
site for an accomplished seaman — Dress and manners of the crew 
— Mr. Freeman's soirees — Annoyances on ship-board — Christmas 
— Mechanical employments of the men. - - - - 74 

CHAPTER VH. 
Approach to Cape Horn.— Gale of wind— Game of these seas — The 
porpoise— Turtle— Pilot fish — Squally weather — Preparations for 
doubling Cape Horn — Novel aspect of the diurnal revolutions, and 
of the celestial bodies in these high latitudes — Capture of Al- 
batrosses — Preparations for the Cape. - - - - 90 

CHAPTER Vni. 
Cape Horn. — Terra del Fuego — Patagonians — Straits of Magellan 
— Geographical position of Cape Horn — Dangers and difficulties 
of doubling the Cape — Capricious state of the elements — Huge 
Sperm Whale — The carrier albatross — Perils of Whaling — Sail- 
or's songs. --------- 106 

CHAPTER IX. 
Hunting and fishing scenes. — Ambrose Island — Immense flocks of 
birds — Great fishing— Capture of a fur seal — Sea birds — Capture 
of a black fish — Boat carried down by a whale. - - - 117 

CHAPTER X. 
The whale fishery. — Early history of the whale fishery — Original 
method of attacking whales — Modern improvements in whaling 
— Implements— Enterprise of our ancestors in this line— Intrepid- 
ity of whalers — Discoveries in distant regions — Benefits conferred 
by them on the Polynesian colonies and missionary establish- 
ments — Characterof whalers, officers and crew. - - - 121 

CHAPTER XI. 
Varieties of the whale. — The Sperm Whale— Spermaceti — Am- 
bergris — Right Whale — Size— Food— Fin-back Whale— Difficul- 
ty of capture— Hump-back Whale — Conflicts of Whales with 
one another— Loss of the Whaler "Essex." - - - 134 

CHAPTER XII. 
Amusements and mode of life on shipboard. — Fishing — Mechani- 
cal employments — Bill of fare. 146 

CHAPTER XIII. 
Cruise in the Pacific— Perilous incidents of a whaler's life— Black- 
fish, capture, description, and habits — Squid or cuttle fish — Large 
schools of sperm whales— Terrific approach to the ship— Laws 
of whaling among the craft— Turtles— Brilliant phosphorescence. 



CONTENTS, IX 

CHAPTER XrV. 

Visit to Tacames. — Situation of Tacaraes — Interesting appearance 

of the vegetable kingdom — Tropical fruits — Landing in the surf — 

Density of the forests— An incident— Phosphorescence of fish after 

death— Carousals on shore. 161 

CHAPTER XV. 
Voyage to the Sandwich Islands. — The Gallapagos Islands — 
Narrow escape from shipwreck— Steer for the Society Islands — 
Capture of a large whale— Mother Carey's chickens — Peaked- 
nose shark — Leaky condition of the ship— Steer for the Sand- 
wich Islands — Trade winds— Arrival at Oahu. - - 175 

CHAPTER XVI. 

Sandwich Islands. — Seamen's chapel — Honolulu harbor — Fruits 
and vegetables — Appearance of the natives — Native dwellings — 
Police regulations — Fort — Governor Kekuanoa— Capt. Brown — 
Foreign residents — Horses and vehicles. - - - 189 

CHAPTER XVII. 
Sandwich Islands. — Valley of Nuanu— Taro Poi — Natives at work 
— Aquatic feats — An affecting incident— Native canoes — Com- 
merce of the Hawaiian Islands — Moving a house — Treatment of 
a lunatic— Native salutation — Chinese — Annoyances — Scorpions 
—Centipedes. 202 

CHAPTER XVIIL 
Excursion to Hawaii. — Brig " Clementine" — Romish priests — 
Accommodations on board— Kailua— Governor Adams — Style 
of his house — Cavern — Natives playing in the surf— Native 
church — Manufactory — lodgings — Escape from shipwreck — 
Shark catchers— To vvaihae — Walk to Waimea — Spanish bullock 
hunters — Mr. Lyons, missionary— Bullock hunting — Fate of Mr. 
Douglas — Spanish saddle — Return to Honolulu. - - 216 

CHAPTER XIX. 
Sandwich Islands. — Farewell to the North America — Whaleship 
Catharine — Objects of a consulate — Kauikeaouli, the king — 
Mission families at Honolulu. 237 

CHAPTER XX. 
Sand-wich Islands. — Geography — Fertility — Climate— Ancient Ta- 
bu system — Idolatry'- Oppression of the chiefs— Arrival of mis- 
sionaries — Discouragements — Success — Churches at Honolulu — 
Schools — Hawaiian Institute — Supremacy of law — Depopula- 
tion. 245 

CHAPTER XXL 
Voyage to Tahiti. — Embarkation — Passengers — An incident — 
Calm latitudes— Poisonous fish. 264 



X CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XXII. 
Tahiti. — Arrival at Tahiti— Papeete Bay— British Consulate — 
American whale ships — Natives— Capt. Upham — United States' 
Consul — Disaster at Tongatabu. 271 

CHAPTER XXIII. 
Tahiti. — Difference of time — Natives — Tongatabu — Queen Pomare 
— Pomare-tane — Tahitian soldiers — Display —Church — Palace 
— Seamen's chapel. 280 

CHAPTER XXIV. 
Tahiti. — Police — Coral — Fishing by Torchlight — Diseases — An- 
noyances -Moonlight at Papeete — Shaving the head— Native 
costume — Novel engineering — Climbing the cocoa-nut tree. 291 

CHAPTER XXV. 
Tahiti. — Fruits — Cocoa-nut oil — Sugar — Guava — Bread-fruit — ■ 
Tide. 303 

CHAPTER XXVI. 
The South Pacific. — Retrospect of Tahiti — Additional passengers 
— Accident — Snow — Iceberg — Religion of sailors — Bird-catch- 
ing. 312 

CHAPTER XXVII. 
The South Atlantic — A merchant ship — Long-boat — Crew — 
Gale — Porpoise — Pampero — Dolphin — Waterspout — Protract- 
ed head-winds — Ominous character of the Flora — Employment 
of time. 324 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 
The South Atlantic. — Stores of the Flora — Pernambuco — 
Harbor. 338 

CHAPTER XXIX. 
Pernabibuco. — Katamarans — Churches — Splendor — Appearance 
of the population —Architecture — Fireworks— Suppliespurchas- 
ed — Cross the equator. - - - - - - 344 

CHAPTER XXX. 
Home. — Bathing — Sailor's fare — Cape Hatteras — "Land ho!" — 
Anchor at Sandy Hook. 356 



INCIDENTS OF A WHALING VOYAGE, 



CHAPTER I. 

VOYAGE TO THE AZORES. 

Embarkation — Man overboard — Superstition of seamen in res- 
pect TO sailing on Friday — Discouragements at the commence- 
ment of the voyage — Description of a whale-boat and its 
appurtenances — Larboard and starboard watches — First as- 
pect OF THE OCEAN — GuLF STREAM A GALE — SUFFERINGS OF AN 

INVALID ON SHIPBOARD RaINBOWS. 

Friday^ Oct. 11. 1839.— Early this morning, the rat- 
tling- of blocks and riofo-inor and the animatinsf cries of 
the seamen, announced that the North America was get- 
ting under way ; and soon the barque with her swel- 
ling sails distended by a gentle breeze, swung from her 
moorings. The wind was fair, and as we glided out of 
the beautiful harbor of New-London, the clear air of the 
morning, the favoring breeze, and the bright sun mir- 
rored in a thousand tiny waves, soon dispelled the gloom 
of parting from those I loved, and even inspired me with 
renovated spirits. The band of the Revenue Cutter 
was going through its morning exercises, and I listened 
to the national airs it was performing, until growing 
fainter and fainter, they were lost in the distance. A 
new feeling of patriotism was awakened within me ; 
and these simple strains, that on ordinary occasions, 
would scarcely have been heeded, were now associated 
with many endearing recollections, and invested with a 
melody and sentiment I had never before discerned in 



12 VOYAGE TO THE AZORES. 

them. Month after month will perhaps have rolled over 
me, ere I shall again hear the inspiring strains of "Hail 
Columbia, happy land," in my own favored country to 
which I am now bidding adieu — it may be forever. But 
from these painful susfgestions that now and then strug- 
gled to obtain possession of my mind, "I turned with in- 
terest to the scenes as they opened before me in my new 
habitation, the first aspect of which was not the most fa- 
vorable. 

The North America is a Temperance ship; that is, 
no ardent spirits are served out to the men on any occa- 
sion. This, hov/ever, does not preclude them from be- 
coming intoxicated whenever an opportunity presents 
itself, VAhich two or three of them, judging from appear- 
ances, would not be very reluctant to embrace. The 
prospect of a voyage of three or four years in length is 
an incentive to greater excess, while intoxicating liquors 
can be purchased to drown the unpleasant anticipations 
incident to so long a separation from country and kin- 
dred. 

Inebriety is by no means as prevalent among sea-far- 
ing people as was formerly the case, since the abandon- 
ment of the idea that intoxicating drinks were indispen- 
sable to the sailor. It has been within a few years only 
that the plan of sailing ships upon temperance principles, 
has come into extensive use ; before this, if a master of a 
ship, in visiting another, declined a glass of spirits, his 
refusal was regarded as an insult. Soon after the com- 
mencement of the temperance reform. Major Williams, 
of New-London, determined to lend the weight of his 
extensive influence in promoting temperance aboard the 
whale-ships sailing out of this port, in which he was 
interested. His exertions, although meeting with great 
opposition at first, were successful — other influential men 



MANOVERBOARD. 13 

followed his example — and now, out of the thirty or 
forty whaling vessels belonging to the port of New-Lon- 
don, almost all are navigated upon temperance princi- 
ples. To the credit of the American AVhale Fishery, it 
ought to be added, that the proportion of vessels of this 
character, is much greater in this service than in any 
other department of our marine. 

This afternoon, as I was standing at the starboard 
gangway, watching the progress of the ship through the 
water, a sailor passed by me, and letting himself down 
the side of the ship by the chains, very deliberately threw 
himself overboard, and commenced swimming towards 
land, then distant three or four miles. 

" Man overboard ! — man overboard !" resounded from 
every part of the ship — a boat was lowered, manned, 
and put oif to rescue him from a certain death. He 
swam very well, however, although encumbered with 
heavy woolen clothes, but was soon overtaken, hauled 
into the boat, and held down as he endeavored to 
plunge into the sea again. After a change of clothes, 
he was put into his berth, with some one to watch him, 
lest he should make another attempt to leave the ship. 
This man is a boat-steerer, (a grade of petty officers 
aboard a whaler, about whom I shall speak more partic- 
ularly by-and-by) and a first-rate seaman, who had 
been to sea all his life-time, and had seen all kinds of 
service. For a week or two before the saihng of the 
North America, he was constantly intoxicated, and this 
insane attempt to leave the ship, was owing to the mad- 
dening and stupefying effects of constant inebriety.* 



* He afterwards became a very good friend of mine, and gave me a variety 
of information about ships, and "spun me many a yarn" of his adven- 
tures at sea. 

2 



14 VOYAGE TO THE AZORES. 

The windj which during the day, hardly moved 
the ship through the water, as evening came on, veer- 
ed ahead. A head tide also, opposed our progress, and 
as the sky towards the south-east looked lowering, 
with some indications of a gale, it was thought advisa- 
ble to return. The ship's head was soon pointing to- 
wards New-London, distant about twelve miles, and we 
came to anchor two or three miles from the shore, where 
we lay during the night. Early on Saturday morning, 
as the wind continued to increase from the south-east, 
we hauled in opposite the light-house. 

ISunday^ Oct. 13. Soon after the ship was moored, 
yesterday, I went ashore with Captain Richards and the 
pilot, where we remained until this morning, when at an 
early hour we were summoned on board ship, as the 
weather seemed favorable for going to sea. But our ex- 
pectations are disappointed, and here we lie without 
breeze enough to carry us out, while a damp atmosphere 
and cloudy sky, render our situation extremely dismal. 
It is the Sabbath too, and while the solemn tones of the 
distant church-bell should awaken emotions befitting the 
day, our own unpleasant situation engrosses all our at- 
tention ; and instead of occupying our minds with the 
solemn duties of the Sabbath, we are watching the clouds 
for indications of fair weather. 

Mondaij^ Oct. 14. '' Boat-ahoy," hailed the officer of 
the deck, as a boat was seen coming down to us, rowed 
by two boys, carrying a large bag in the bow of their tiny 
craft, intended for the ship. We were endeavoring to 
divine the contents of it, which were supposed to be of a 
highly valuable character, from the important air exhib- 
ited by the boys. The bag was hoisted upon deck and 
opened, when out jumped an old cat and her numerous 
progeny, that ran squalling around the deck to our sur- 



SUPERSTITION OF SEAMEN. 15 

prise and diversion. Cats are consequential personages 
on board, as they protect us from the depredations of 
huge cock-roaches that swarm in every direction. I 
found one of these erratic black-legs the other day, up in 
the main-top, wandering about very much at his leisure. 
Capt. R., a few days ago, in speaking of the good quali- 
ties of the North America, said that " she was built en- 
tirely of live oak," which subsequent observations have 
fully verified ! 

Last evening, the clouds for a short time dispersed, 
and the stars and the moon beaming forth, seemed to 
promise a favorable change in the weather. Not long 
after, however, the sky was again overcast, and before 
morning, an easterly storm came pattering down upon 
deck, with the gloomy prospect of another dismal day. 
If I had not started with a good resolution to be discon- 
certed by nothing that might happen, I should by this 
lime have been tempted to give up an enterprise so in- 
auspiciously begun. '' So much for sailing on Friday," 
an old salt would say. There has been a singular super- 
stition prevalent among seamen about sailing on Friday ; 
and in former times, to sail on this day, would have been 
regarded as a violation of the mysterious character of the 
day, which would be visited with disaster upon the of- 
fender. Even now it is not entirely abandoned ; and if 
a voyage, commenced on Friday, happens to be unfortu- 
nate, all the ill-luck of the voyage is ascribed to having 
sailed on this day. An intelligent ship-master told me, 
that although he had no faith in this superstition, yet so 
firmly were sailors formerly impressed with superstitious 
notions, respecting this day, that until within a few years, 
he should never have ventured to sail on Friday, for the 
men would be appalled by dangers which they would 
think lightly of on common occasions, and their efforts 



16 VOYAGE TO THE AZORES. 

would be paralyzed by their imaginary fears of being 
under a mysterious and malignant influence. I have 
been told, that several years ago, a ship was built and 
sent to sea, to test this superstition, and convince the craft 
of its folly. The keel of the ship was laid on Friday ; 
on Friday her masts were set ; she was completed on 
Friday, and launched on this day. Her name was 
" Friday," and she was sent to sea on Friday ; but un- 
fortunately for the success of the experiment, was never 
heard of more. 

As knowledge advances, all opinions not consonant 
with reason must be abandoned, and this superstition is 
fast losing its hold on the minds of sea-faring men. espe- 
cially since the establishment of the packet lines, and the 
frequent necessity of sailing on Friday. It had its ori- 
gin, I am told, in the ancient custom of executing crimi- 
nals upon this day, which imparted to it an unlucky 
character. 1 have also heard it ascribed to a connection 
with some of the observances of the Roman Catholic 
Church, which entertains some peculiar notions with re- 
gard to this day. 

Tuesday J Oct. 15. Rain — rain — rain — with a raw 
wind from the north-east — cold and cheerless on deck — 
damp and dismal in the cabin. For our encouragement, 
the barometer, which for the last three days has been 
continually falling, is now rising, indicative of fair wea- 
ther. 

This morning, hearing an unusual noise upon deck, 
I ran up the companion-way, and, at the distance of 
thirty or forty yards from the ship, saw one of the men 
making desperate eiforts to reach the shore by swim- 
ming. One of the boats had just been lowered — pursuit 
was instantly made, and the man with but little resis- 
tance, was secured and brought on board, crest-fallen 



> DISCOURAGEMENTS. 17 

enough, in his dripping clothes, with his shoes tied 
around his neck. " Come here," said the commanding 
officer, (the second mate) in an authoritative tone. 
" Well, you were going to leave us in the lurch, were 

you?" "Why sir, Mr. L (the first mate, who was 

on shore) told me I might go ashore with him, and he 
went off without me." "And so you thought you'd 
work to windward of us in this way, eh?" "Why sir, 
1 thought he didn't do what was right." " You thought ? 
Well, I'll tell you what / think, and I'll inform you in 
the most delicate manner, that if you show any more of 
such fandangos here, you'll be clapped down into the 
lower hold, sir, with some irons around your wrists, that 
don't look quite so pretty as ladies' bracelets neither — 
bear that in mind, and be off, sir." 

The crew, though very quiet in general, are begin- 
ning to show signs of impatience, and if there are no in- 
dications of fair weather at sunset, an attempt will un- 
doubtedly be made to desert during the night. With 
the few exceptions I mentioned before, they are very 
temperate, and I have heard but little bad language or 
profanity on board, both of which are prohibited by the 
Captain. 

Capt. R. left us last Sunday evening, and has not 
yet returned. I should have accompanied him up to 
town, were it not that I had already bidden my friends 
" good-bye" three times, and did not like to impair the 
virtue of the " Farewell " by repetition. 

Wednesday^ Oct. 16. Yesterday afternoon the clouds 
began to break av/ay, and the sun shone forth to glad- 
den us after a long absence of his cheering beams. The 
moon, too, favored us last evening with her kindly ra- 
diance, and long I paced the deck, musing on the real- 
ity of the enterprise in which I had embarked. When 



18 VOYAGE TO THE AZORES. 

we are preparing for a long voyage, we talk of separation 
from home, kindred, and country with a kind of vague- 
ness as if it would never be realized ; but when we have 
actually embarked, and there is no return, then the reality 
comes vividly to mind, and impresses us with the mag- 
nitude of the enterprise ; while the uncertainties of the 
future forbid our anticipating its termination. The 
future to me is more than ordinarily uncertain. To 
picture to myself my various wanderings over the mighty 
ocean, in accommodating myself to the erratic life I have 
now chosen, and after leaving my present shipmates to 
trace out my circuitous course back to my native land, is 
beyond the reach of mortal ken and were a vain attempt. 
And there are solemn musings too. Ere I return, the 
irrevocable hand of death may invade the home of my 
youth and the circle of kindred friends, and consign 
one or more to the grave ! Ah ! these are the saddest 
thoughts, that press like an incubus upon the spirits of 
the voyager as he leaves his native shores. 

Early this morning, the Captain came on board, and 
soon we " hove short" — the sails were loosed — the top- 
sails sheeted home — the anchor weighed and catted, and 
we were standing out of our anchorage. It was a 
lovely morning. The sun just emerging behind the 
long line of hills that bound the eastern side of New 
London harbor, was fringed with the light fog that floated 
down the river, tinged with his golden rays. With the 
light wind that fanned our sails, we glided slowly alono- 
over the smooth waters of the sound, and by noon, having 
passed through "the Race,"* were directing our course 
towards Montauk Point. 



* That part of Long Island Sound between Fisher's Island and Gull Island, 
is called " the race," on account of the velocity of the tides between these 
islands. 



WHALE-BOAT. 19 

Thursday^ Oct. 17. The wind has been light and 
baffling since yesterday. This noon there was a perfect 
cahu, and upon the eighth day from the date of our first 
setting sail from New London, we find ourselves git 
anchor off Montauk point, to prevent being drifted ashore, 
instead of tossing about upon the Atlantic one third of 
the way across. 

All hands have been engaged in various duties about 
the ship, such as overhauling the spare canvass, and 
stowing away articles more compactly. The boats too, 
have been put in complete order, to be in readiness for 
the first opportunity that presents itself for using them, 
and although it may be a deviation from the plan I have 
adopted, I cannot do better, perhaps, than to describe 
the whaleboat and its various appurtenances. 

The whalehoat is a narrow, light built boat of about 
twenty-five feet in length, sharp at both ends, with its 
sides gracefully curved and running up to a point fore 
and aft, and from its construction, is expressly adapted 
to great velocity of motion and safety among the swelling 
billows of the ocean. Unlike most ship's boats, it is 
clinker built, as this peculiar mode of construction is 
called, i. e. the thin boards that cover the ribs overlap 
one another, thus giving strength to the boat and ena- 
bling it to be made much lighter. Each boat is fitted 
with six oars of various lengths. The steering om\ 
usually from twenty to twenty two feet long, is confined 
to the boat by a strap passing around it and attached to 
the sternpost. This gives the helmsman great power 
over the movement of the boat far superior to the steer- 
ing with a rudder. 

The thole pins, between which the oars are plied, are 
covered with matting, so as to prevent any noise in the 



20 VOYAGE TO THE AZORES. 

motion of the oars. Of the offensive weapons, the har- 
jpoon is the most important. 



SPADE, 



HARPOON. 



LANCE. 



The harpoon is an iron instrument, about four feet in 
length, terminated at one end, in a sharp barbed head, 
and at the other, in a soci^et for receiving the "iron 
pole," a heavy wooden handle of about equal length, 
which gives to the instrument great momentum. A 
strap with a turn around the socket of the iron secures 
it upon the pole. To the strap is attached the I'me^ a 
strong rope about two hundred fathoms long, which is 
carefully coiled up in a tub placed in the afterpart of the 
boat ; and going around the " loggerhead," a strong post 
projecting above the stern, passes through a "cAoc/t:" or 
grove in the bow of the boat, and is " bent on " to the 
harpoon. Each boat usually carries four or five har- 
poons, two of which are always ready for immediate use 
when the boat is in pursuit of whales. Their barbed 
heads lie across the bow of the boat, with their shafts 
resting upon two " crotches," or spurs, standing out from 
a stick rising from the side of the boat. This position 
gives steadiness to the weapon, and it is close at hand 
whenever opportunity offers for using it. 



M O D E F A T T A C K . 21 

The lance is two or three feet longer than the har- 
poon. Its head is of an oval shape, pointed with steel, 
and its shaft is long and slender, with the "i^«?7>," a 
small line about eight fathoms long, attached to the ex- 
tremity of it. 

The spade is a short instrument, with a thin, wide 
blade set upon a light shaft of five or six feet in length. 

These instruments are ground to a very keen ^dge, 
and kept constantly bright. Their sharp heads are en- 
closed in sheaths, to defend them from injury, as also to 
prevent their doing any mischief A hatchet, a couple 
of knives, a water-keg, a lantern, and a boat compass, 
together with one or more buckets, complete the equip- 
ment of a boat. 

Six men constitute a boat's complement. Of these, 
the captain or one of his mates is one, who directs the 
attack upon the whale. There is also a subordinate of- 
ficer called boat-steerer, who performs the duties of a 
cockswain, taking care of the boat with its appurtenan- 
ces. To each man is assigned an oar and a station in 
the boat, to avoid any confusion when starting in pur- 
suit of a whale. 

In attacking the whale, the captain or one of his offi- 
cers takes the steering oar, and directs the boat in the 
onset. The boatsteerer pulls the short oar in the bow 
of the boat, and at a signal or command from the officer, 
draws in his oar, and taking his stand firmly in the bow, 
when the word is given, darts the harpoon with all his 
strength into the whale. Sometimes he is so successful 
as to fix both irons, which generally ensures the capture 
of the struggling monster. He now exchanges places 
with the officer, and takes the steering oar, while the 
latter comes forward to thrust the lance into the vitals 
of the whale whenever he comes up to blow, a feat re- 



22 VOYAGE TO THE AZORES. 

quiring no ordinary dexterity. The moment the whale 
begins to slacken the line to which he is " fast," it is 
hauled in, and coiled up carefully in the tub, while the 
boat is drawn towards the whale, as he comes on top 
of water, when he receives several thrusts of the lance 
in succession, which often enters to the depth of several 
feet. When the animal is very violent in his move- 
ments, a few strokes of the spade across the sinews of 
his flukes, disable these his most powerful weapon of 
defence and motion. The line is confined to the grove 
in the bow of the boat by a wooden peg, which breaks 
in case the line becomes entangled, thus averting the ex- 
treme danger of being instantly carried down. 

Thus much for the description of the whale-boat at 
present, which in grace and velocity of motion, is not 
excelled by any ship's boat. 

On board of all vessels, the men are separated into 
two divisions, called the larboard and starboard watches. 
The first and third mates command the larboard watch, 
and the second mate commands the starboard watch. 
This morning, the crew were all summoned upon the 
quarter deck, and the first and second mate selected alter- 
nately, the members of their respective watches. The 
Captain and each of the officers, in a similar manner, in 
the order of rank, then made choice of the required 
number for the boat he commanded. 

Friday., Oct. 18. Last evening the ship was again 
under way, and at sunrise this morning, land was no 
where visible. There was scarcely breeze enough to 
steady the ship, while as far as the eye could reach, not 
an object presented itself to break the monotony of the 
ocean with its ceaseless undulations, or to impair the 
emotions of sublimity with which vastness of extent im- 
pressed me, as I scanned with eager eye, the uninter- 



ASatJALL. 23 

rlipted curve of the horizon. The open ocean is rarely- 
calm, such as we see in the waters of our lakes and riv- 
ers. Even in its stillest moments, when not a breath of 
air agitates it^ its surface is perpetually heaving as if 
with some internal commotion. For the fathomless wa- 
ters of the ocean acquire such a momentum when the 
storm comes over their depths, that even when the winds 
are hushed, they do not soon subside. 

Tuesday^ Nov. 5. In resuming the thread of my nar- 
rative, which has been interrupted for more than two 
weeks, I cannot do better perhaps than to commence 
from my last date, and endeavor to give a slight sketch 
of what has befallen me in the meantime. 

On Saturday, Oct. 19, towards evening, the rain began 
to fall in frequent showers from the South. About 11 
o'clock that night, I was roused from my slumbers by 
the rolling of boxes in the cabin, and the crash of the 
steward's crockery in the pantry, the howling of the 
wind and the loud tone of command from the officer on 
deck. " Tumble aft — tumble aft here every one of you. 
Let go your top-gallant halliards fore and aft — clew up 
— mind your helm — keep her oif before it — main-tack 
and sheet let go — clew him up, clew him up — ^jump, for 
your lives, men — top-sail halliards let go— one of you 
give 'em a call there in the forecastle and steerage." 
"All hands a-hoy," just heard above the roar of the 
winds, summoned the larboard watch on deck, as we 
sprang up the companion-way to ascertain the cause of 
the sudden alarm. We had been moving along under 
easy sail, when upon nearing the gulf stream, a heavy 
squall struck us from the west. The top-gallant sails 
and top-sails had been settled down, while the main 
course was flapping about with a noise like thunder. 

In a short time, however, all the sails wer6 snugly 



24 VOYAGE TO THE AZORES. 

furled, with the exception of a close-reefed main- top-sail 
and fore-sailj under which we drove before the gale that 
pursued us across the gulf stream. The next day (Sun- 
day) a sea struck our larboard quarter boat, and dashed 
her to pieces, — a bad omen for the commencement of 
the voyage. We have since had another boat stove by 
the violence of the sea, which dashes in very frequently 
across the waist of the ship. 

I had brought a thermometer with me for the particu- 
lar purpose of ascertaining the temperature of the water 
in the gulf stream ; but the violence of the sea put an 
end to all philosophical speculations. I was informed, 
however, by those that were drenched by the spray, that 
the water was very warm.* 

The air, too, was mild, unlike the storms we have at 
home in the month of October, in this respect. Indeed, 
the temperature of the ocean air off soundings, is always 
much higher than that of the land in the same latitudes, 
out of the tropics in the cool season of the year. For 
the three weeks, during which we have been at sea, we 
have had no weather cold enough for an overcoat, ex- 
cept at night, although at home, I presume, anthracite 
fires are glowing to repel the first approaches of winter. 

In a day or two we had crossed the gulf stream, and 
were promising ourselves a delightful run to the Azores, 
when the wind came around ahead from the eastward, 
where it continued for eleven days without alteration. 
At one time we ran down as far as the Bermudas, and 
were admonished to alter our course by the frequent 
squalls that assailed us. 

Dui'ing the stormy weather in the gulf stream, I con- 
fined myself to my berth, as the most comfortable place 

* Its known temperature in this latitude is about 72 deg. 



i THEINVALIDATSEA. 25 

i 

I could find, and with bundles on each side of me, en- 
deavored to keep myself from rolling about. The mo- 
tion of the vessel, and the intolerable smell of bil^e \va- 
ter which came steaming up from the hold through the 
crevices in my state room, brought on a disease, that 
for more than two weeks, completely disabled me. It 
was not sea-sickness under which I labored, but an 
extreme debility accompanied with fever. There can 
be no mistaking the former, and I considered myself 
well versed in it from an intimate acquaintance during 
several coasting voyages. A determination to rise supe- 
rior to my physical weakness, was the only thing that 
enabled me to counteract the extreme depression that as- 
sailed me ; and I have never been more convinced of 
the truth of a sayiug which has almost become a pro- 
verb — " that a resolute spirit has greater efficacy in com- 
batting our bodily ills, than medical prescriptions." No 
disrespect to the profession, however. 

When we are sick on shore, we obtain good medical 
advice, kiud attention, quiet rest, and a well ventilated 
room. The invalid at sea, can command but very few 
of these alleviations to his sufferings. The attentions 
he receives, have none of that soothing influence, w^hich 
woman's tender sympathy alone can impart. Undisturb- 
ed repose is out of the question, where every thing is in 
motion and the bulkheads are dismally creaking. The 
air of the cabin of a ship is always close and uncomfort- 
able in bad weather. Let a man be sick any where else 
but on shipboard. 

For the last three or four days, the wind has hauled 
around to the west and north-west, with frequent squalls. 
Hardly a day passes, but the wind comes whistling down 
upon us, and lashing us awhile in its fury, leaves us, to 
be soon succeeded by another, when the same scenes of 



26 VOYAGE TO THE AZORES. 

"letting go the halliards — clewing up and clewing 
down — " are enacted over and over again. During the 
intervals, the ship rolls heavily in the sea, and the deck 
is washed by the sea breaking in across her waist. 
Buckets, pieces of wood, and other loose articles run 
around the deck in wild disorder, to the serious annoy- 
ance and hazard of one's nether limbs. Shower baths 
provided gratis for those who are not on the look-out for 
themselves. We have seen no whales as yet, and even 
if we had, the sea has been too high for a boat to ven- 
ture out in pursuit. 

During the frequent squalls of the few days past, I 
have been delighted with the beautiful rainbows that 
formed at all hours of the day — now spanning the hea- 
vens in a regular arch, then rising above the sea like 
two pillars of resplendent colors, and again but just ting- 
ing the clouds with their brilliant hues. 

We are now about eighteen hundred miles from the 
United States, and expect to reach the Western Islands 
in six or eight days. 



CHAPTER II. 

FAYAL. 

Arrival at Fayal — Appearance of the island — Situation of 
THE TOWN — Fortifications — Burdens carried by porters — 
Streets and buildings — Costumes of the different classes — 
Ladies of Fayal — Consul's gardens — Manufacture and ex- 
portation OF WINE — Casualties incident to the life of a wha- 
ler — Dinner at the Consul's — Supplies laid in at Fayal — 
Departure — Lunar bow. 

Tuesday, Nov. 12. This morning at seven bells (7| 
o'clock) " Land-ho !" was sounded from mast-head, and 
soon the high hills of Fayal, one of the Western Islands, 
were dimly seen through the mist that shrouded their 
summits. 

The Azores, or Western Islands, as this group is usu- 
ally called, lie within the parallels of north latitude 39° 
44', and 36° 59', and the meridians Sl^ 7' and 25° 10' west. 
They are nine in number, spreading over a considerable 
extent of ocean, and distant from the United States about 
two thousand seven hundred miles. Their names are 
Corvo, Flores, Fayal, Pico, St. Jorge, Graciosa, Terceira, 
St. Miguel, and Santa Maria. 

To me the sight of land was very acceptable, after the 
report I had heard of the tropical fruits growing upon 
these islands ; and it was with great pleasure that I saw 
the beautifully verdant hills of Fayal rising rapidly be- 
fore us, as we neared them before a fair and fresh breeze 
from the westward. 

Fayal presents a somewhat picturesque appearance ; 
its surface is very undulating, and high hills crowned 



28 FAYAL. 

with the richest verdure, complete its outline. We 
coasted along the south side of the island, where the 
shore is very bold, rising abruptly from the ocean, while 
the surf breaks incessantly in foam and spray upon the 
rocks that line the coast. 

Each hill- side was covered with innumerable patches 
of the richest green, which, I believe, were fields of 
grain. On this part of the island, there are but few 
trees of any magnitude. Around the sparsely scattered 
houses, that we saw through the spy-glass, we observed, 
however, small clusters of shrubbery. 

To the eastward of Fayal, separated by a narrow 
channel about five miles wide, is the island Pico, with 
its mountainous summit, called the Peak of Pico, tower- 
ing into the region of the clouds. Its height, I am told, 
is 7,016 feet or 1^ miles above the level of the sea; and 
for the greater part of the time, it is entirely obscured 
by the mists that rest upon its summit. 

As we approached Fayal, just abreast of the ship rose 
up abruptly from the water's edge, a dark rock, which 
at a distance, looks like a yawning cavern in the side of 
the island. A little to the right is seen a cluster of 
buildings and a church, which with their white plastered 
walls, have a very pretty effect, contrasted with the ver- 
dure of the fields. Far to the right is seen the island of 
Pico, with its lofty conical summit. Between this and 
Fayal, as T have before said, is a narrow channel, on the 
left hand side of which, just after rounding the high 
bluff on the south-eastern side of the latter, the town of 
Fayal opens before you, built upon the sides of several 
hills that incline towards the sea. Upon this bluff is a 
small fortification, garrisoned by Portuguese soldiers; 
and there is also another fort facing the harbor, which 
mounts nine or ten guns, of no very formidable charac- 



TOWN OF FAYAL. 29 

ter, as I should judge. The harbor of Fayal, the only 
one among these islands that offers any anchorage to 
ships, is but a mere indentation in the land, and is safe 
only with a westerly or northerly wind. These islands 
are subject to frequent and violent gales of wind, and 
during a storm from the south, the ocean comes rolling 
into the harbor in all its fury, oftentimes carrying away 
the stone wall that defends the town on the side of the 
harbor, constructed expressly to resist the violence of 
the sea. The harbor is very deep, and the ordinary 
chains of ships are insufficient to hold them in a gale of 
wind from the southward. 

There were one or two small, rakish looking vessels 
lying at anchor near the shore, and a fine large ship, 
standing off and on, with the American ensign flying at 
her mizzen peak. She proved to be a whaler, from Wil- 
mington, Delaware, and soon came to anchor to repair 
her rudder, the head of which had been twisted off in a 
gale of wind. 

When about a mile from the landing place, we round- 
ed to, and a boat was lowered to put the Captain and 
myself ashore. The wind was fresh and flawy, and by 
the time we reached the shore, we were all well sprink- 
led with salt-water. 

Fayal, like many other places, presents the best ap- 
pearance at a considerable distance off. As you draw 
nearer and nearer, the beautiful white walls of the 
houses become more and more dingy, while the dark 
muddy looking wall rising up from the water's edge, 
gives to the town a peculiarly unprepossessing aspect. 
There are no docks, and but two or three landing places 
for boats. Articles of merchandize are transported to 
and from the shipping in lighters, which are small craft 
of ten or fifteen ton's burden. 

3* 



30 FAYAL. 

We pulled for the stone quay, which was crowded 
with a ragged, noisy multitude, all vociferating in a for- 
eign language, which sounded to me like another " con- 
fusion of tongues." It has a strange effect upon the 
mind, when we hear for the first time a language we 
cannot comprehend, while our own becomes a novelty. 
Then we feel that we are indeed in the land of stran- 
gers. 

We were interrogated by the health officer, before we 
were permitted to land, as to " Where we were from ?" 
"How many days out?" (fcc. The answers were satis- 
factory and we were allowed to pass. Our men in the 
boat, however, underwent a more strictly personal exam- 
ination ; for immediately after the health officer signified 
his satisfaction of the health of the ship, one or two 
men jumped into the boat, and commenced searching 
the pockets of the crew, to see if they had secreted 
any contraband articles, such as tobacco and soap. Not 
much of the latter article was found, as sailors on duty, 
do not often manifest an intimate acquaintance with this 
article, and the appearance of the men might readily 
have testified to the contrary. Of the other interdicted 
commodity, many a choice bit was reluctantly surren- 
dered, although in each case a consolatory quid was cut 
off and given to the owner, for immediate use. 

On landing, we were received by the brother of the 
American consul, Mr. Dabney, who invited us to walk 
up to his office, which is but a short distance from the 
landing place, and o\^erlooks the harbor. After a short 
conversation with several American gentlemen about 
the news from the United States, Captain Richards and 
myself took a walk around the town. 

Near the consul's office is the fortification, facing 
the harbor, and in the rear of it runs the principal street 



BURDENS CARRIED BY PORTERS. 31 

of the city. Before the gateway stood several soldiers 
of the garrison, and we saw several of them in our ram- 
ble ; they are tall, martial looking men, and their dark 
whiskers and moustaches have a very dashing appear- 
ance. Their uniform is blue, resembling that of many 
of our military companies at home. They wear upon 
their heads little blue caps, trimmed with red, and in 
shape resembling a truncated haystack. The entire 
number of soldiers upon the island, Mr. Dabney inform- 
ed me, does not exceed seventy. 

Wherever we went, we were escorted before and be- 
hind by a troop of ragged boys of very questionable ap- 
pearance. The streets of Fayal are extremely narrow. 
They are paved with large, flat stones, and are kept 
as clean as could be expected, considering the appear- 
ance of the population. The sidewalks are so narrow, 
that two persons cannot walk side by side, without dan- 
ger of tripping one another. 

I was astonished at the immense burdens the porters 
carried upon their shoulders. They occupied the mid- 
dle of the street, moving along under large casks or 
boxes, that seemed heavy enough to crush them. It 
took two men on board our ship to transport readily, a 
box of oranges, such as I saw individuals of them carry- 
ing upon their heads and shoulders. 

The heaviest work is performed by the labor of oxen, 
yoked to short carts with strong wheels ; they are di- 
rected with a stout pole pointed with iron, which the 
driver, who walks just before them, thrusts against their 
ribs every few minutes, not appearing, however, to ex- 
ceed in cruelty, the teamsters of our own country, whose 
wanton application of the lash to the poor patient ox, 
has often roused my indignation. 

We passed through one of the principal streets. The 



32 FAYAL. 

houses upon each side would be called three story build- 
ings, although their actual height was about that of our 
two story houses. Before each of the upper windows 
are latticed balconies, painted green, in the front of 
which are small doors ; some of these were opened a 
little, disclosing at one time, a fair female face, at ano- 
ther, the dirty phiz of some curious urchin. All the 
houses of Fayal are built of stone, and are whitewash- 
ed, which gives the city a very pretty appearance at a 
distance, as I before observed. The population is about 
five thousand, while that of the entire island is about 
twenty-eight thousand, as I was informed by Mr. Dab- 
ney. Our walk extended to the hospital, a large white 
building, fancifully ornamented with slate colored fig- 
ures of every variety of curve. It is a three story edi- 
fice flanked by two wings, one on each side, extending 
as far as any regard to symmetry would permit. This 
large structure, the finest by far in the city, and well 
located upon a gentle hill, was formerly a convent ; but 
during a popular insurrection a few years since, the 
priests were expelled, and the building appropriated as a 
hospital, and as barracks for soldiers. On that occasion, 
the numerous bells of the convent were all melted up 
for coin, with the exception of one v/hich is suspended 
in one of the windows of the third story of the main 
building. I could hardly account for this singular taste, 
especially as the cupola of the convent stands close by, 
which one would suppose to be the most natural loca- 
tion for a bell. At the foot of the hill is a fountain, the 
waters of which rise into a cistern about four feet in 
height, supported by pilasters. The area of the cistern 
is about ten feet by four, I should judge ; it is built of 
red sandstone, and must have supplied the inhabitants 
with water for some time, as it bears the date of 1680,. 



LADIES OF FAY AL. 33 

sculptured upon one of the sides. Near the fountain 
reposing upon the stones of the street in undisturbed 
quiet, lay a meditative donkey, a sine qua non in all 
Spanish and Portuguese places. 

Many of the inhabitants were wrapped up in their 
cloaks, although the thermometer stood at 60°. The 
women almost universally, were seen dressed in large 
cloaks, some of them having capacious hoods attached. 
These cloaks were invariably of blue color, but of vari- 
ous materials, according to the rank of the owners ; the 
"ton" of the city, sported their broadcloth cloaks of very 
ample folds. 

These garments, which with us usually indicate cold 
weather, are, I am told, worn also in the middle of sum- 
mer. But what struck me as particularly ludicrous, 
was the huge bell-topped hat, that the fashionable ladies 
had adopted, which had at least the merit of being more 
easily adjusted to the person than the head-dresses worn 
by my fair countrywomen. A large white handkerchief 
is first arranged upon the head, and upon this these 
heavy hats tower up to a height endangering the neck 
of the fair owner. She, however, seems sensible of this, 
and is careful to keep the hat nicely balanced upon her 
head, while her handkerchief waving to the breeze, com- 
pletes the costume of a Fayal lady. The motions of 
the ladies did not appear to me very graceful ; they 
came swinging along half way between a trot and a 
walk, reminding me of the daughters of Erin, I used to 
see in New-Haven going to church. There are said to 
be some very pretty ladies in Fayal ; but they did not, I 
am certain, make their appearance in the streets on the 
12th of November. 

The lower class of men wore upon their heads little 
blue conical caps of cloth, or straw hats of portly, bell- 



34 FAYAL. 

topped dimensions and shape. Those in a better condi- 
tion in life, were dressed similarly with people in the 
United States. 

When we returned to the consul's officej an English 
gentleman connected with the office, politely invited us 
to visit the consul's gardens, a proposal we were glad to 
accept. We were admitted to the premises by a private 
entrance, which led to the front of the house through a 
passage way between two parallel walls of twelve or fif- 
teen feet in height, which were covered profusely with 
grapevines. It was in vain that I looked for the grapes 
I had been delighting my imagination with during our 
voyage ; since the grape season had passed, and the 
withered leaves were all that remained upon the vines. 
We were shown one or two rooms of the house, that in- 
dicated the style of affluence in which the consul is 
accustomed to live. Then passing into the gardens, 
beautiful flowers met our eyes in every direction, and 
those that had faded before we left the United States, 
were here exhibited in full bloom. Roses and Arteme- 
sias of various kinds, I recognized as old acquaintances ; 
while many varieties of flowers, that were quite new to 
me, perfumed the air. Many plants I noticed, were here 
growing in neglected luxuriance, that with us require 
the most careful treatment. Geraniums towered up- 
ward to the height of tall shrubs, while the hydrangea 
was scattered over the garden as one of the most com- 
mon flowers. The hydrangea, as well as several other 
flowers, which with us are of a pink color, when trans- 
planted to these islands, turns blue, and vice versa. 

The method of rearing the orange tree from the slip, 
was exhibited to us. An enclosure of tall reeds woven 
together surrounds the tender orange slip to protect it 
from the violent winds that frequently sweep over these 



CONSUL'S GARDENS. 35 

islands. In a year or two the young tree is enabled (o 
resist the ordinary blasts that assail it. 

From this garden, itself of very ample dimensions, we 
were led through a tunnel under a street, into another 
of equal extent, filled with many varieties of tropical 
fruits. Orange trees, bending under the weight of their 
rich yellow burdens, citron and lemon trees, grew up 
thickly together like the trees of our forests ; while the 
ear was charmed with the warbling of birds. The grape 
vines are trained upon arbors formed of the tops of par- 
allel rows of young poplars entwined together. As I 
looked down the long arches, wreathed with prolific 
grape vines, and seeming to meet in the distance, and 
rambled on through shady arbors, with the coffee tree 
and the banana springing up around me, I could hardly 
believe myself sixteen degrees north of the tropic, in 
an inclement season of the year, and but about two 
hundred miles to the southward of New-England. 

The bananas were growing in an excavated hollow, a 
necessary protection against the violent winds. The stalk 
which bears the fruit is three or four inches in diameter 
and rises to the height of ten or twelve feet. Immense 
leaves of a rich, apple green color put out from the stalk, 
which, near the top, give place to the fruit, a single bunch 
numbering from twelve to twenty bananas. The banana 
when ripe, is of a golden yellow color and in size and 
shape, it very closely resembles the pod of the plant 
with us commonly called milkweed (asclepias syriaca). 
The rind is pulled off very readily, and discloses a lus- 
cious and mealy pulp of a slightly acidulous and astrin- 
gent taste, with a few small seeds set thickly along in a 
longitudinal core. 

These gardens are situated upon an inclined plane 
above the level of the town, and command a delightful 



36 FATAL. 

view of the ocean, and of the neighboring island of Pico. 
They are surrounded by a high stone wall neatly white- 
washed, upon which vines of various kinds are trained. 

Returning towards the house, we were conducted into 
the flower garden, where were flowers of every variety, and 
rare shrubs evincing the taste of the proprietor, under whose 
personal superintendance all these gardens were laid out. 
On our way to the consul's office, we passed through a 
quadrangular yard in the rear of the office, surrounded 
upon three sides by large storehouses for wine, and ship 
stores of various kinds. Under the hands of the cooper 
were several huge casks made of Brazil wood, whose 
great size is said to be important to the preservation of 
this wine. Very little if any wine is made in Fa^^al ; 
that consumed on the island, and exported to foreign 
countries is imported from Pico, upon the south side of 
which the grape vine is extremely prolific. It is called 
"Pico Madeira,'' and is very similar to that which with 
us bears the name of Madeira wine. 

At the consul's office, we met the master of the whalei 
that lay at anchor in the harbor. He was from Wilming- 
ton, Delaware, and had been out only about as long as 
ourselves, but had already met with a sad accident. In 
an attack upon a whale, the line as it shot out of the 
boat, became entangled around one of the men, and 
instantly carried him down, and the poor man could not 
be rescued until life was extinct. This is one of the 
dreadful casualties to which the adventurous life of the 
whaler is exposed. Were I inclined to make a digres- 
sion, many a hair breath escape from death or mutila- 
tion might be related, of which I have heard from the 
mouth of those who have been active in these hazardous 
adventures. 

In the afternoon we were invited by Mr. Dabney to 



APPEARANCE OF THE ISLAND. 37 

dine with him at his mother's residence in the upper part 
of the town. The family of Dabney is the most promi- 
nent for wealth and respectability of any on the island ; 
and upon each side as we passed, hats and caps were 
raised in token of respect. As far as my observation 
extended, the people appeared to be very polite and 
respectful in their manners. Gentlemen in meeting or 
passing one another, raise their hats from their heads, 
and with a graceful wave restore them to their places. I 
was told by Mr. Dabney, that there is a prodigious wear 
of hats and caps among all classes, in the way of saluta- 
tion. Whether this remark is to be taken in jest or in 
earnest, I thought that my fellow countrymen, with all 
their notions of economy, might advantageously adopt 
the custom. 

The elder Mr. D. is a graduate of Harvard University. 
It was delightful to meet with a man of his intelligence, 
especially one who had visited many places in America, 
with which I was familiar. Those that never move 
beyond the boundaries of their own country, do not know 
how welcome is the face of a countryman in a foreign 
land. 

We ascended the hill upon which the Hospital stands, 
and beyond it at some distance above, entered a gate 
leading to the house, through an alley overshadowed by 
the Sycamore tree, a great rarity at these islands. The 
house faces the eastward, and commands a magnificent 
prospect. Directly before us, the towering Peak of Pico, 
then veiled in clouds, limits our view in that direction ; 
while between the two islands, the deep blue ocean is 
seen heaving its foam-capped billows, and extending to 
the horizon on the right. The grounds about the house 
are extensive, and still more beautiful than those of the 
consul. From the piazza, which reaches entirely across 



38 F A Y A L . 

the front of the house, the garden with its orange and 
lemon trees, whose fruits were lying neglected upon the 
ground, and its verdant shrubbery, is spread out before 
you. 

We were soon ushered in to dinner, where we were 
introduced to Mrs. Dabney, mother of the consul, and to 
several other ladies, with whom we spent the hour very 
pleasantly. The dinner was excellent, and served up 
in good style, and it was peculiarly acceptable to me after 
my experience of sea fare during the past month. Im- 
mediately after dinner, we bade adieu to our very agree- 
able hosts, and hurried aboard the North America. 

During our absence, the various articles ordered by 
the captain and myself, were sent on board in the con- 
sul's lighter. Potatoes, oranges, apples, wine, fowls, 
eggs (fee, can be purchased here at a much cheaper rate 
than at home. Of potatoes, one hundred bushels were 
added to about an equal quantity we had on board. 
More than two thousand oranges were purchased at the 
rate of $3,00 per thousand, for the use of the ship. The 
Fayal oranges are small, and rather sour, while the 
apples are sweet and insipid. 

I have been thus particular in enumerating our 
supplies, to exhibit the liberality with which whalers 
recruit wherever they stop for this purpose. 

Late in the afternoon we left Fayal, and endeavored 
to beat out to sea, but failing in this attempt, as there was 
a strong current setting in between Fayal and Pico from 
the southward, we fell off before the wind, with the 
intention of circumnavigating the island. At sunset, we 
were driving along under a close reefed maintopsail and 
foresail, before a heavy squall off the land. The wind 
was fresh all night, but the next day, (Wednesday,) we 
were out of sight of land, very much to our satisfaction, 



DEPARTURE. 39 

lying to in a gale of wind, with the head of the ship 
pointing to the westward. 

On Thursday, (Nov. 14,) with a fine breeze from the 
west, we altered our course for the south, and before 
night, we bade adieu to the hills of Fayal and the Peak 
of Pico, in sight of which we coasted during the day. 

On Friday and Saturday, with the wind astern, we 
made rapid progress southward, enjoying the fruits and 
"fresh grub" we procured at the islands. On Sunday 
and to-day, (Monday,) the wind has continued to blow 
steadily from the N. E., and we are feeling the first 
impulses of the trade winds, regular breezes within the 
tropics, which blow generally from N. E. to S. W. on 
the north side of the Equator and from S. E. to N. W. 
on the south side. 

This is the season of the year for the unusual display 
of shooting stars, which for several years past, since the 
grand exhibition of 1833, has excited so much attention 
among astronomers. Last Wednesday was the anniver- 
sary- a£ this iuteiestmg event, and I had been looking 
forward to its recurrence with no ordinary feelings of 
interest, particularly as it had been enjoined upon me 
to make a careful record of what facts I might collect 
with reference to this phenomenon. 

For several days previous, the officers of the watch 
told me that they had seen an unusual number of very 
brilliant meteors. It was not until Wednesday, that I 
felt myself well enough to look out for meteors, and at 
an early hour I was upon deck, in eager expectation. 
How great was my disappointment on finding the ship 
lying to in a gale of wind, and the sky overcast with 
heavy clouds. 

On Thursday morning. I again made the attempt. It 
was a beautiful morning with a fine clear air ; but the 



40 LUNAR BOW. 

clouds that rose in quick succession and sailed across 
the sky, precluded all astronomical observation.* 

Although an exhibition of this wonderful phenomenon 
has been denied me, I have often pictured to myself the 
scientific excitement that has undoubtedly occurred at 
New Haven ; and it has been to me a pleasing thought 
that though far away from home and friends, our minds 
are united in the same grand contemplations, and inter- 
ested in the recurrence of the same phenomenon. 

Tuesday^ Nov. 19. We are making rapid progress 
southward, and have arrived on the borders of the 
tropics. A fine, fresh breeze is impelling us forward 
tempered with the softness of a milder clime. Last 
evening, just after sunset, I saw a phenomenon of an 
entirely novel character to me. A bank of heavy clouds 
rested on the western horizon, and on its front a beauti- 
ful rainbow was set like a diadem. The moon was 
shining serenely in the eastern sky, which gave origin 
to this phenomenon. Captain Richards told me that he 
had very frequently seen these lunar rainbowa, thuug^U 
not so often as the solar, but sometimes as brilliant even 
as the latter. 



* The Meteoric Showers of November, are supposed by my father to have 
ceased after 1838. (" Letters on Astronomy," p. 350.) 



CHAPTER III. 

SHIP AND SHIPMATES. 

Ship North Aivierica — Government aboard ship — Method of 
ascertaining the latitude and longitude — eccentricities of 
THE COOK — Amusements of the fore-castle — Etiquette on 
BOARD SHIP — Employments of the crew — Description of the 
several parts of the ship, and peculiarities in the con- 
struction of a whaler — Order and contentment of the 
crew — Library — Flying fish. 

Before proceeding farther in my narrative, I will 
introduce the reader more particularly than I have yet 
done, to my ship and shipmates. It may be well also to 
explain the common maneuvres of a ship, and to de- 
scribe its several parts at once, rather than to interrupt 
the chain of my narrative by being obliged to stop fre- 
quently to render myself intelligible to the uninitiated. 

The North America, was built by Stephen Girard, 
Esq.. and was originally intended for a letter of marque 
during the last war with Great Britain. The war 
terminating before she was completed, she was applied 
to the merchant service and sent to the East Indies. 
About eight years since, she was purchased by her 
present owners, and converted into a whaler. She is 
an exceedingly strong vessel, with timbers of great size, 
and disposed rather more closely together than is custom- 
ary in most ships of her tonnage. Her frame work is 
entirely of live oak, the best material for shipbuilding in 
the world. She is a very fast sailer, particularly " on 
the wind," and in working to windward has always had 
the reputation of being surpassed by no square-rigged 

4* 



42 SHIP AND SHIPMATES. 

vessel. Since leaving the United States, we have beaten 
every thing, although we have been under easy sail all 
the time. 

Whalers are navigated by more than the usual number 
of men for vessels of their tonnage. The North America 
measures 386 tons, and fifteen or sixteen men " all told," 
would be considered adequate for working her in the 
merchant service, whereas we carry thirty one men for 
our complement. Each boat has a crew of four men, 
besides the boatsteerer and the officer who commands her. 
As we carry four boats in service, the remainder of the 
crew work the ship, when the boats are in pursuit of 
whales. Some whale ships carry five boats in service, 
with a complement of forty men, and some but three, 
with a proportionate number. 

The management of the ship rests with the captain 
and his officers. The supreme power is vested in the 
captain, and it is absolute^ extending not only to the 
sailing of the ship and her internal economy, but also to 
the conduct of every one on board. He exacts the most 
scrupulous respect and deference from his officers and 
men, and quickly reprimands or punishes any infraction 
of the etiquette, which long usage has established. He 
has the power of turning an officer before the mast, and 
substitutiug one of the men in his place, if he is dissatis- 
fied with his conduct. The comfort of the men depends 
almost entirely upon the will of the captain. If he treats 
them with kindness, their lot is comparatively happy ; 
if he is tyrannical and abusive, the ship becomes a 
miniature purgatory. In case of mutiny, the captain 
would be justified at law, in shooting down any of the 
mutineers, or in using any coercive measures to compel 
them to return to their duty. 

The captain and his officers take observations daily, if 



SHIP NORTH AMERICA. 43 

the weather permits, to ascertain the position of the ship, 
and it is the duty of the former to mark down her daily- 
progress upon the chart, a large scroll, upon which the 
shores of continents, islands, rocks, shoals <fcc., are accu- 
rately laid down in latitude and longitude. A ship's 
position on the globe, is known when her latitude and 
longitude are known. These are calculated by two 
methods, — by dead reckonings which proceeds upon 
trigonometrical principles, and by observation of the 
heavenly bodies ; the latter is preferable, as it is the most 
exact in its calculations. Finding a ship's latitude by 
observation is a very simple problem. The Sun's alti- 
tude at noon is taken, and by a few calculations you 
have the latitude. 

The longitude is obtained by taking an altitude of the 
Sun before noon or after noon, from which the exact 
time of day is ascertained, and then by comparing this 
time with the time at Greenwich, you have the longitude. 
That time is known from the chronometer, an extremely 
accurate timepiece adjusted to correspond to it, and 
carefully wound up so as to preserve the true Green- 
wich time. The necessity of extreme accuracy in the 
movement of these instruments will be readily seen, 
when it is recollected that an inaccuracy of four seconds 
will make an error of a mile in the supposed position of 
the ship. Hence it becomes very unsafe to rely upon a 
chronometer entirely, and the prudent navigator takes 
other observations every little while to rectify his chro- 
nometer ; for if he can only ascertain its rate of going or 
amount of error, he can depend upon it without hazard. 
In this case, he resorts to the more careful and delicate 
observation of measuring the distance between the moon 
and the sun by the sextant, while his officers are taking 
altitudes of the Sun and Moon at the same instant, and 



44 SHIPANDSHIPMATES. 

some one is noting the time by the chronometer. From 
these observations, the position of the ship is ascertained 
by two independent methods, and the correctness of the 
chronometer tested. The astronomical instruments 
made use of are the quadrant and sextant^ the former 
used on common occasions for determining the latitude, 
and the latter when great delicacy of observation is 
requisite. 

The captain stands no watch, but exercises a super- 
vision over all, to see that they do their duty. Several 
times during the night, the officers make report to him 
of the progress of the ship, the appearance of the weather, 
and any unusual occurrence. The captain also presides 
at table, and gives orders to the steward about every 
thing that comes upon the table, as well as about the 
distribution of provisions among the ship's company. He 
seldom has any conversation with the men; all his 
commands are issued to them through his officers. 

The most arduous duties aboard the ship, devolve 
upon the first mate. It is his duty to attend to the 
reception of all the stores that are put aboard the ship, 
and he also keeps the log-book, a kind of Journal in which 
are registered the progress of the ship every hour, her 
position in latitude and longitude, remarks on the 
weather, (fee. When all hands are called, he takes his 
station with his watch upon the forecastle, and manages 
the head sails, lets go the anchor, and sees that every 
thing ''alow and aloft," is "shipshape." The second 
mate with the starboard watch, is stationed in the waist 
of the ship to work the main and after sails, while the 
third mate belongs on the forecastle. The second mate 
of a merchantman is not usually respected very highly ; 
but the second and third mates of a whaler, having 
another grade of rank intervening between themselves 



SHIP NORTH AMERICA. 45 

and the foremost hands, are treated with much greater 
deference. 

The next in rank are the boatsteerers, of whom one is 
attached to each boat, whose duty it is to keep the boat 
and all her appurtenances in complete order. They are 
also frequently sent off in charge of their boats to execute 
some command for the captain or officers, and are very 
ambitious to make a good appearance before the other 
men, or else they will not be respected. All whaleships 
carry a cooper, a carpenter, and a blacksmith, whose 
respective duties will be understood without my descend- 
ing to particulars. 

Our crew is composed of representatives from a variety 
of nations. Besides the Americans, there are tliree Indians, 
one Englishman, six Portuguese, and several colored 
gentry, that claim to be Americans. One of the Indians 
bears the renowned name of John Uncas, and is a lineal 
descendent of the celebrated Sachem of the Mohegans, 
He is a very active intelligent boy, and will become a 
first raie seanian. 

Our cook and steward belong to the ebony race ; the 
former, " Mr. Freeman," as he is often designated, is the 
most comical character I ever met with, and I cannot 
refrain from adding a tribute to his memory, as he is the 
fountain of all the fun and good humor aboard the ship. 
In this respect, he sustains a relation to the ship similar 
to that of the jester in a feudal establishment ; and although 
the captain and officers would consider it impairing 
their dignity to descend to any familiarity with the men, 
yet "Spot," is regarded as the privileged character on 
board, and the discipline is not relaxed by any amuse- 
ment at his expence, which the captain and officers 
choose to indulge in. He receives a serio-comic punish- 
ment from the captain and officers every day, when his 



46 SHIP AND SHIPMATES. 

grimaces and exclamations are so ludicrous that I am 
sometimes almost faint with laughing. We call him 
down into the cabin now and then, and give him presents, 
to amuse ourselves with his elegant bows and expressive 
exclamations of satisfaction. He possesses all the negro 
accomplishments in full perfection, embellishing his 
conversation by the use of language in all the variations 
of which it is susceptible. He can sing a song, play 
upon the <' fiddle," dance various jigs '-on the light 
phantastic toe," and roll up the white of his eye — all iiT 
the genuine negro style. I have witnessed the exhibi- 
tions of many extravaganza performers, but I think they 
were surpassed by our cook with his various appella- 
tions of " Spot," •' Jumbo," '• Congo," " Skillet," " Kidney 
foot," &c. Among his other good qualities, he is extreme- 
ly polite, and bids me "good morning," with a very 
graceful bow ; and if I consult him about the weather, 
when the clouds indicate a favorable change, he takes a 
very wise look around in every direction, and predicts, 
that " we are going to have some very pluusiote weatticr, 
so far as the aspection of the sky would seem to elucidate.^' 
He is frequently summoned into the cabin, and soon 
makes his appearance on deck, with his capacious mouth 
distended to its utmost limits, with oranges, apples, and 
other things, which have been thrust into it. 

The steward takes care of the ship's small stores, and 
distributes the provisions according to a bill of fare given 
to him by the captain. His appearance also partakes of 
the comical, especially when he waits upon table in the 
cabin, when his lank, ebony visage, and long limbs, 
remind me of the India Rubber men I have seen in shoe- 
maker's shops at home. He is a very important person- 
age among the men, however, especially with those who 
are looking anxiously for a stray bit from the cabin table. - 



SHIP NORTH AMERICA. 4/ 

The cook with his " fiddle," and the steward with his 
feimbourine, hold musical soirees on the forecastle every 
evening in pleasant weather. Whatever maybe thought 
ef the performances of these sable musicians, they are 
sufficient to excite the activity of all that are disposed to 
dance. There is a mysterious connection between the 
vibration of a fiddle string and the vibrations of the 
heels. For as soon as the sound of the violin is heard, 
then commences a general patter upon deck of all the 
excited. The dancing of sailors does not require a 
knowledge of the fashionable figures ; all that is neces- 
sary, is to keep time with the feet, and to beat the deck 
with a suitable degree of vehemence. Simple as this 
sport may appear, it serves happily to diversify a sea 
life, and I frequently go forward to amuse myself with 
the curious maneuvres exhibited, and the good humor 
that prevails. At eight bells, (eight o'clock,) all "sky- 
larking," or amusement instantly ceases, and all hands 
disperse, some to their berths, and others to their duties 
upon deck. 

The men as I have before said, are divided into two 
watches, the larboard and the starboard, who keep watch 
upon deck alternately for four hours at a time. The 
watches are regulated by the bell, which is struck four 
times at every half watch, when the wheel is relieved 
as well as the look-outs at the mast-heads ; and eight 
times when the watch is out, and the other half of the 
crew come upon deck. In most ships I believe it is 
customary to strike the bell every half hour. There are 
certain forms of respect that are never deviated from 
aboard all vessels where discipline is observed. The 
foremost hands never come aft, unless they have busi- 
ness which calls them there, and then they always take 
the lee side of the ship, and any "sky-larking" upon the 



48 SHIP AND SHIPMATES. 

quarter deck, would be severely punished. If a sailor 
has occasion to go into the cabin upon any duty, he is 
careful to leave his hat upon deck. 

It is an important object to keep the men always 
employed during their watch upon deck, and their 
duties are performed with regularity from day to day. 
At daylight, commences the scrubbing of decks and 
washing down fore and aft. This is done by the watch 
upon deck, who with their heavy " scrub brooms," and 
common brooms, wash and scrub the decks until they 
are perfectly clean. Sometimes soap and sand are used, 
as often as once every day or two. When this duty is 
completed, the mastheads are manned, and at half past 
seven o'clock, breakfast is served up, immediately after 
which, the carpenter, blacksmith and cooper, are engaged 
in their respective avocations, while the watch is em- 
ployed upon an old sail, picking oakum, making spun 
yarn, <fec. No one is allowed to be idle, and every thing 
proceeds with a regularity, which people in general, from 
a misconceived antipathy, are not willing to credit in a 
whaleman. 

As was originally proposed, we will now describe the 
different parts of the ship, and the peculiar construction 
of a whaleship. In the accompanying diagram is a repre- 
sentation of the North America, on the wind, with her 
larboard tacks aboard,* and the reader is requested to 
compare the following description with the picture. 
From the bow of the vessel, projects the bowsprit, from 
the extremity of which extends the gibboom and flying 



* The reason assigned by Jack, for giving the pronoun relating to a ship, 
the feminine gender, is rather amusing, and somewhat discourteous to the 
fairer portion of creation. Says Jack, " the reason why we call a ship a she, 
is because her rigging costs more than her hull ;" an opinion, to the truth 
of which, I hope I shall not be considered as certifying. 



SHIP NORTH AMERICA. 49 

gibboom in one stick. The foremast rises upon the bow, 
the mainmast in the middle, and the mizzenmast in 
the aftermost part of the vessel. The supports of the 
masts upon each side, are denominated swifters and 
shrouds^ and unite in the tops^ semicircular landing 
places, about nine feet wide, at right angles to the fore 
and mainmasts. That which corresponds to them on 
the mizzenmast is called the mizzen cross trees. The 
next upper divisions of the mast are called topmasts ^ as 
the foretopmast, <fec. They are supported like the lower 
masts by headstays, shrouds and backstays. The next 
upper divisions are the top gallant masts, and the next 
the roj/al masts, terminating in a ball called the royal 
truck. The landing places above the tops are denomi- 
nated cross trees, and are named from the divisions of the 
mast to which they belong, as the foretopmast-crosstrees, 
the 7naintop- gallant crosstrees. The men sent aloft to look 
out for whales, are stationed in the topgallant-crosstrees. 
Upon the extremity of the flying gibboom rises the 
flying gib ; next to this, and nearer the vessel is the 
gib, and next comes the foretopmast-staysail, a small 
triangular sail, used principally when the ship is " lying 
to" in a gale of wind. Upon the foremast are th.Q foresail 
ox forecourse, forctopsail, f or etop gallant-sail, and some 
ships carry a foreroyal. Upon the mainmast, are the 
mainsail or maincourse, &c. Ships sometimes carry a 
sail above the royal, called the sky sail, and sometimes, 
though rarely, a sail above this called a moonsail. These 
"li^ht kites," however, are of but little use, and it would 



be much better to enlarge the royals and dispense with 
them altogether. Vessels, in going with the wind free^ 
frequently carry temporary sails upon one or both sides 
of their topsails^ topgallant-sails^ and royals^ called 



50 SHIP AND SHIPMATES. 

Studding sails. The largest sail upon the mizzenmast 
is the spanker^ above which is the gaft-topsail ; between 
the mizzenmast and mainmast, are seen two trian- 
gular sails, the lower one of which is named the mizzen 
staysail, and the upper the mizzen topmast-staysail. 
There are several other sails that ships sometimes spread, 
though rarely, which I will just enumerate, as, the gih 
of gibs, gib topsail, fore and main spenser, ringtail and 
water sail. 

The yards, are the spars upon which the square rigging 
is distended, and receive their names from the sails " bent" 
upon them ; they are brought to any required angle with 
the length of the ship by means of the braces attached to 
the yard arm, and worked upon deck. The halliards, 
runners and ties, elevate the yards upon the upper masts. 
The sheets are those chains or ropes that draw down the 
ends of the sails to their proper places. The reef poi7its 
are short ropes about two feet long, arranged in rows 
upon each side of the larger sails, and are used to dimin- 
ish their size. There are in the topsails three rows of 
reef points, and a ship is said to be under single, double 
or close reefed topsails, according as one or two or three 
reefs are taken in these sails. A sail is cleioed up, when 
the extremities of its foot or lower edge are drawn up to 
the middle of the yard. There are many ropes used in 
working the sails, such as clewlines, buntlines, bowlines, 
and reef tackles, which it would be tedious to explain. A 
ship is said to be '' in stays,^^ when the wind is ahead, in 
a line with the masts, when after receiving the wind on 
one side, she is endeavoring to come around on the other. 
The wind is " abeamj'' when at right angles with the 
length of the vessel ; " upon the quarter J^ when it comes' 
aft, but not in a line with the length of the ship. 



SHIP NORTH AMERICA. 61 

We will now come down from aloft upon deck.* 
Between the mainmast and foremast are the tryworks^ 
large furnaces built of bricks, and containing two 
immense iron pots, for trying out the oil from the blub- 
ber. The flames and smoke escape through several 
openings in the top of the works. Between the main- 
mast and mizzenmast is the "galley," a little kennel large 
enough for the cook and his stove, but a mystery to all 
ambitious housekeepers with capacious kitchens, how so 
much, and such a variety can be cooked in so small a 
compass. There sits Jumbo, in sooty dignity, superin- 
tending the steaming coppers, and reflecting upon the 
responsibility of his station, while the hot liquids are 
scattered around, and perchance fly upon his unshod 
extremities, as the ship rolls heavily in a cross sea. In 
some ships, the galley is set forward of the foremast. 
Above the galley is a framework of spars, called " bearers," 
upon which the spare boats are turned bottom upwards. 

In the aftermost part of the ship, are the wheel and 
the binnacle, containing two compasses, by which the 
course of the ship is regulated. 

Abaft the mizzenmast is the companion loay leading 
into the cabin, appropriated exclusively for the captain 
and his officers. The cabin contains six staterooms, a 
storeroom and a pantry. A state-room aboard a ship, 
places a man in rather contracted quarters. One very 
soon becomes used to it, and I feel as contented in my 
little bandbox, measuring not more than six feet one way 
and four feet the other, and receiving hght through 
thick ground glass set in the deck, as I should in a 
palace ; and I can sleep as comfortably in my berth with 



* Looking towards the head of the ship, the right hand side is called the 
\starboard, and the left hand the larboard. 



52 SHIP AND SHIPMATES. 

its coffin-liko dimensionsj as upon the finest bed ; much 
better too, for I am now prevented from rolling about in 
the pitching and tossing of the ship. Just forward of the 
mizzenmast is the steerage^ covered over with a box 
having a slide upon it, called the " booby-hatch" a pecu- 
liar designation not applicable to those who live in the 
steerage, as they strenuously contend ; for here are loca- 
ted the boatsteerers, carpenter, cooper and blacksmith. 

In some ships, all the steerage men take their meals 
in the cabin after the captain and officers have had 
theirs, but it is not the case with us. 

Forward of the foremast, is the forecastle, a receptacle 
for sailors, where twenty- one men are stowed aivay, in 
a manner mysterious to those who have never visited 
this part of the ship. The forecastle of the North Amer- 
ica is much larger than those of most ships of her ton- 
nage, and is scrubbed out regularly every morning. 
There is a table and a lamp, so that the men have con- 
veniences for reading and writing if they choose to avail 
themselves of them ; and many of them are practising 
writing every day or learning how to write. Their sta- 
tionery they purchase out of the ship's stores, and then 
come to one of the officers or myself for copies, or to 
have their pens mended. When not otherwise occupied, 
they draw books from the library in the cabin, and read; 
or if they do not know how, get some one to teach them. 
We have a good library on board, consisting of about 
two hundred volumes, and a good proportion of sperm 
whalers are also provided with them. Sailors, as a gen- 
eral thing, are ready to avail themselves of any opportu- 
nities for mental improvement ; and I have no doubt the 
efforts of the benevolent in supplying ships with good 
books and tracts, will be attended with great success. 
Notwithstanding the immorality that is to be so much 



THE SLOP CHEST. 53 

deplored among seamen, they have generally a respect 
for religion and its observances. It is very gratifying to 
take a look at the forecastle upon the Sabbath in pleasant 
weather. Perfect stillness prevails aboard the ship ; no 
loud talking is allowed, while the "people," after wash- 
ing and dressing themselves neatly, are seated around 
the forecastle, or upon the windlass, poring over the Bi- 
ble or some tract.* 

We have a good medicine chest on board, which I 
believe to be the case with a majority of whale ships. 
To provide for wear and tear of clothes during the long 
voyage, a large assortment of garments of every kind is 
put on board, to be sold to the men as they may need, at 
a slight advance upon the original cost, after the expira- 
tion of one year from the time of sailing. These are 
denominated " slop chest " clothes. Were perfectly fair 
dealing observed in all cases towards the men in the 
management of the " slop chest," one of the most prolific 
sources of discontent aboard whale ships, would be en- 
tirely removed. The men as they ship for the voyage, 
are told that they need not trouble themselves about any 
preparations, as every thing they may require, can be 
purchased out of the "slop chest" after they get to sea. 
Upon applying for necessary clothing after they are sep- 
arated hundreds of miles from home, they find that eve- 
ry article they ask for, is indeed in the slop chest — but 
to have it, they are to be charged a most exorbitant profit 
on the first cost, so that all their hard earned wages are 



* My situation as passenger, enables me to extend to tbe crew many acts 
of kindness which the stern discipline of the ship would hardly permit in an 
officer, and their gratitude is manifested by their avidity to oblige me when- 
ever any occasion presents itself, and to exhibit other marks of regard. 
Whenever in my rambles about the ship, I go forward, their looks indicate 
that I am no unwelcome visiter, 

5* 



54 SHIP AND SHIPMATES. 

to be swallowed up to enrich those that have practised 
so pitiful a plan of fraud and oppression. Let me res- 
pectfully suggest to all those interested in fitting out 
whale ships, that upright dealing in the disposal of slop 
chest-goodsj will ensure a far greater profit in the legit- 
imate results of the voyage, than any exorbitant gains 
which may be realized in taking advantage of the neces- 
sities of the sailor. 

The boats are hoisted up by means of davits^ (" da- 
vies ") curved timbers upon which the boat tackles are 
worked, and are supported by cranes swinging under- 
neath them. The loindlass is a powerful apparatus in 
the forward part of a ship for hoisting the anchors or 
for any other purpose requiring the exertion of great 
power ; it revolves horizontally, worked by long levers 
called handspikes^ and is movable in one direction, but 
immovable in the other. 

Thursday^ Nov. 28. We are now within five degrees 
of the equator, a latitude all over the ocean visited with 
heavy squalls of deluging rain, with baffling winds, and 
oppressive heat. This region, known to the sailor, by 
the name of ^^the doldrums j'^ extends from five to eight 
degrees north latitude, the interval between the trade 
winds, and ships are sometimes detained here for twelve 
or fourteen days in the most disagreeable position imagi- 
nable. For a week past the weather has been most de- 
lightful with a fine fresh breeze from the eastward. 

Flying fish are found upon the deck of the ship almost 
every morning, having flown aboard during the night. 
The flying fish is a beautiful silvery fish, having delicate, 
gauze-like wings, that appear like enlarged fins, with 
which he rises from the sea and skims along with a kind 
of tremulous vibration, to a distance of thirty or forty 
yards frequently, when his wings beginning to grow dry, 



FLYING FISH. 55 

compel him to fall into the ocean again. Flying fish in 
their flight near a ship, are often taken in a current of 
air, and drawn aboard, when they fall upon her deck, 
particularly during the night, and this is a more frequent 
occurrence in rough than in calm weather. They vary 
very much in size, from those v/hich are not larger than 
insects, and hardly discernible, to those that measure 
twelve or fifteen inches in length. The larger kind are 
furnished with an additional pair of wings, located just 
above the ventral fin, but smaller than those towards the 
head. 

For a long time flying fish were considered as fabu- 
lous animals by those who had not been over the blue 
waters, and there are some living *' remote from cities," 
that are still incredulous about their existence. 



CHAPTER ly. 

WHALING SCENES. 



Attack and capture of whales — General appearance of the 

SPERM WHALE — GrEAT SIZE OF THE RESPIRATORY ORGANS AND 
VASCULAR SYSTEM — SYMPATHY OF CETACEOUS ANIMALS FOR EACH 

OTHER — Inaccurate representations of the whale — Nature 
OF blubber — " Cutting in " — Perils attending the process- 
Spermaceti — " Trying out." 



Monday^ Dec. 2. Yesterday was a great day aboard 
the North America, as it was our first initiation into the 
appropriate business of the voyage. With the excep- 
tion of a whale we saw a few days before reaching 
Fayal, which proved to be the Jin-hack^ a species very 
rarely taken by the whaler, we have not seen the spout 
of a whale since leaving the United States, a period of a 
month and a half For the greater part of this time the 
look-outs have not been stationed at mast-head, owing to 
the rough weather we have constantly encountered. 

About eight o'clock yesterday morning, the ship was 
thrown into confusion by the welcome cry " There she 
blo-o-o-ws," sounded several times from mast-head. 
''Where away?" was asked by the captain on deck. 
" Right ahead — a school of sperm whales." And indeed, 
about a mile off, a frequent succession of mist-like puffs, 
rising above the sea, to the height of five or six feet, indi- 
cated our proximity to a school of sperm whales. Every 
one hurried upon deck at the first sound, and every thing 
was in a state of commotion. " Come down from aloft — 
haul up the mainsail and spanker — helm down — back 



ATTACK AND CAPTURE OF WHALES. 57 

the maintopsail — clear away your boats — lower away 
starboard and larboard !" shouted the captain in a breath ; 
and in an instant the ship was lying motionless upon 
the sea. A rattling of boat-tackle-falls, several plunges 
in quick succession, and the fleet boats glided swiftly over 
the billows, with their long oars flashing in the morning 
sun. In a few moments, after surrounding the spot 
where the whales were last seen, they "hove up," to 
await their re-appearance, while those of us on board 
were watching with breathless interest for the whales to 
"come up." In fifteen or twenty minutes, "there she 
blows," " there she blows 1" was quickly repeated by half 
a dozen eager spectators. Their re-appearance was soon 
perceived by the boats, and pursuit was instantly given 
by one or two of them in the most cautious manner, lest 
the whales becoming ^' gallied" or alarmed, should take 
to flight. 

" Captain's boat's after them — there he stands ready to 
give it to him — don't miss, Tom, (the name of a boat-steer- 
er,) don't for gracious sake — oh dear, he's hove up — there 
goes flukes — white waters — Mr. Babcock's boat goes on 
to them — there he gives it to him, hurrah !" — Such were 
some of the exclamations from the forecastle. "One 
boat's fast !" shouted the ship-keeper who had gone aloft. 
As I watched the boats through the spyglass, I saw one 
of them running swiftly through the water with its oars 
" peaked," i. e., with their blades elevated high up upon 
each side — now darting in one direction, then in another 
— then stationary ; until in a few minutes the poor 
animal exhausted with pain, and the violence of his 
efforts, comes up to breathe, when he receives another 
harpoon, and several strokes of the lance, and goes down 
again, lashing the sea furiously in his agony. "Another 
boat's fast !" shouted the lookout from mast head, and 



58 WHALING SCENES. 

the welcome news was received with a shout of enthu- 
siasm by all on deck. " There he carts him !" as the 
boat was hurried over the waves with a long line of 
foam after her — "spade his flukes — touch him in the 
tender spot !" 

Meanwhile, the whale that had been first struck, 
exhausted with pain and the loss of blood, which tinged 
the sea of a crimson hue in his wake, begins to exhibit 
signs of giving up the contest. He runs wildly around, 
lashing the sea with his flukes, and throwing himself 
out of water, while a crimson spray is blown into the 
air, telling that he is " in his flurry," or in the agonies 
of death. The boat to which he was fast, drew off to a 
respectful distance to await the fearful struggle, which 
terminated in a few minutes, and the huge animal 
'' turned up" or rolled over on his side, now harmless, 
the spoil of his daring captors. 

When there are other whales in sight, the captured 
whale is "waifed," i. e., a rod of four or five feet in 
length, bearing a little flag, is inserted into his carcass, 
which is now abandoned, and pursuit is given in another 
direction. As the whale is a dark object, and rises but 
little above the surface of the sea, he is not readily 
discerned without this precautionary measure. 

In the course of half an hour, the second whale " turned 
up," and the boats abandoning the chase after the others, 
returned to the ship, towing the captured whales. 

The general appearance of the whale, is that of a 
huge flabby mass, rising but little above the surface of 
the sea, and bending in conformity with the undulations 
of the waves. The head and the back of the sperm 
whale are nearly in a line as far as the hiimp^ a thick 
prominence, rising above the ridge of the back. The 
head, in bulk, is nearly one third of the entire animal, 



DESCRIPTION OF THE WHALE. 59 

and is very angular in its outline with a small receding 
under jaw, set with firm short teeth, forty two in number, 
slightly curved inwards, at an interval of two or three 
inches apart, while there are no teeth in the upper jaw. 
At the upper angle of his head, is a cleft, closed at will, 
from which the confined air of the lungs is blown out 
whenever the animal comes upon top of water, con- 
densed in a white mist, that vanishes in an instant. 
From the hump, the ridge of the back descends in 
irregular curves frequently, until it reaches the fiukes^ 
or tail. The flukes are the most formidable weapon 
of the whale. Unlike those of fish, which are set verti- 
cally, the flukes of all whales are horizontal: at their 
union with the main body of the animal, the juncture 
is very small, and whenever a whale is violent in his 
movements, a few strokes of the spade across the ten- 
dons of the flukes, passing along here, will very soon 
reduce him to submission. The outline of the lower 
part of the animal is slightly undulatory, terminating in 
the jaw, which runs to a point. There are tv/o side fins 
or "swimming paws," short and thick, at a distance 
from the extremity of the head, of about one third the 
length of the animal. They are supposed by some to 
assist the animal in balancing himself, as they are too 
small to be of very material service in moving forwards; 
in many other species of the whale, the side fins are 
much longer than in the cachalot or sperm. The eye is 
exceedingly small, not larger than that of an ox, and is 
located in a prominence in the back part of the head. 
The ear* is a funnel shaped cavity situated between 
the eye and the lower jaw, of so minute a size, as hardly 
to admit one's little finger. 

* Dr. Good in his " Book of Nature," gravely asserts that the whale has 
no external ear; but that sounds are conveyed to him through his mouth. 



60 WHALINGSCENES. 

Between the eye and the hump, the body swells out 
to its largest dimensions, and is often deeply wrinkled. 

The color of the sperm whale is usually of ash grey, 
with occasional dashes of whitish streaks, laid on irregu- 
larly over his exterior. 

The Cetacea are warmblooded animals, and are 
provided with an internal organization, like that of land 
animals, which obliges them to come up to the surface 
of the water to breathe. The length of time elapsing 
before they require a fresh supply of air, differs with the 
size of the animal. A large sperm whale will sometimes 
stay down over an hour and a half; when he returns to 
the surface again, however, he sometimes remains up for 
more than half an hour, moving sluggishly about and 
blowing off every few moments. 

When we contemplate the immense proportions exhi- 
bited by some varieties of Cetacea in their organization — 
the lungs expanding with the vast volume of air inhaled 
— and the heart impelling at each pulsation from ten to 
fifteen gallons of blood through an aorta, a foot in diam- 
eter, into the vascular system— the idea of their magni- 
tude must fill the mind with astonishment. "The 
diameter of the aorta, of a sperm whale that was 
thrown upon the coast of Yorkshire was 12| inches ; 
thickness of the coat of the artery ^^ inch. Length of 
the heart from the apex to the valves of the aorta, 3 feet 
10 inches. On the left ventricle being laid open, its capa- 
city was guessed to contain from eight to ten gallons.-" 
(Camb. Phil. Trans.) 

Since the order Cetacea does not derive oxygen by a 
separation of the atmosphere from the element in which 
they live, as is tlje case with all kinds offish, which are 
provided with a peculiar apparatus for this purpose, the 
length of time during which respiration is suspended in 



SPERM WHALE. 61 

many varieties of this order is most wonderful. " Respi- 
ration is in a great degree subservient to the circulation 
of the blood ; the stimulus to inspiration is the accumu- 
lation of this fluid in the lungs, which when purified, 
proceeds to the heart whence it is propelled through the 
frame for the purpose of secretion, &c.; after which, it is 
again received into the veins, when it assumes its venous 
aspect, and is deprived of its arterial character. The 
circle thus described in man and the mammalia generally 
is, so to speak, continuous and simple. In the cetacea, 
however, it is not so ; for in them, the arterial portion, 
instead of being a simple and direct course to the venous, 
is complicated by the addition of a structure, which we 
believe is peculiar to this order, and which is nothing 
less than a grand reservoir for the reception of a great 
quantity of arterial blood, which as occasion requires, is 
emptied into the general circulation, and thus for a time 
supersedes the necessity of respiration." (Naturalist's 
Libraiy, vol. vi. p. 50.) 

Whales are also viviparous, and of course, the cow 
whale is provided with udders for suckling her youngy 
in common with all mammalia. 

In an attack upon a school of whales, it is very com- 
mon with whalers to strike a calf whale, for its dam will 
not readily desert her offspring, and in her extreme 
solicitude for her young, is a frequent victim. The taking 
of one of a school, almost always ensures the capture of 
another, for his comrades do not immediately abandon 
the victim, but swim around him, and appear to sympa- 
thise with him in his sufferings. 

The appearance of the whale as represented in most 
works of natural history, is extremely inaccurate, and no 
one would suspect for w^hat it was designed, unless it were 
labelled. 

6 



62 WHALING SCENES. 

All cetaceous animals are enveloped in a thick cover- 
ing of fat called blubber, varying in thickness from four \ 
to fourteen inches, and very different in animals of the 
same size. It is a firm, hard substance of a fibrous tex- 
ture, infiltrated with oil, and surrounded upon the exte- 
rior with a strong skin, generally having a thick scurf 
adhering to it. There is also a thin semi-transparent , 
skin adhering loosely to the surface of the animal, and . 
not unfrequently hanging in tatters over his carcase. 

After the whale has been secured alongside by a rope 
or chain passing around his flukes, and carried to the 
bowsprit bitts in the forward part of the ship, then comes 
the most laborious part of the whaling business. The 
cutting gear is rove, consisting of two very large and 
strong ropes passing through powerful blocks, hanging 
a few feet below the main-top, and through others upon 
deck, strapped with large thimbles, into which a bar of 
wood may be introduced, three or four inches in diame- 
ter, and about two feet in length. Two immense iron 
hooks, about two feet and a half in height, and provided 
with a shackle and toggle so as to " ship and unship," 
complete the cutting gear. 

The implements used in " cutting in " the whale, are 
cutting spades with long "poles " or handles ; boarding 
knives, two edged knives, about two feet and a half 
long, sharp pointed, and fixed upon a handle about three 
feet long — pikes, bars of iron pointed with steel and 
fixed upon the ends of short poles — and gaff hooks, 
iron hooks pointed with steel, also fixed upon poles in 
a similar manner. 

Having thus described the implements of " cutting in" ' 
the whale, I will now attempt to describe the process. ' 

Upon each side of the gangway, a staging is let down, 
upon which those that wield the cutting spades, take 



CUTTINGIN. 63 

their stand. A deep incision is made into the neck 
of the whale, through which the blood flows in a deluge, 
discoloring the sea, and almost hiding the animal from 
view. The ship with her foretopsail " hove a-back," moves 
slowly out of the " bloody water," and soon a large hole 
is cut in the blubber into which the blubber hook is in- 
serted, connected with the windlass by the powerful 
purchase which I have before described. To point the 
hook into the orifice made for it, one of the boatsteerers, 
having upon his feet a pair of woollen stockings to pre- 
vent his slipping, jumps overboard, guarded by a rope 
passing imder his arms, and tended by one of the men 
upon deck. It is no very easy matter to introduce the 
hook into the proper place, while the sea is dashing the 
whale against the ship and the waves are breaking over 
him ; so that a man runs the risk of being strangled, or 
of being bruised by the concussion of the animal with 
the vessel. The danger of being horribly mutilated by 
the sharks that assemble in great numbers during the 
« cutting in," attracted by the scent of blood, is by no 
means inconsiderable. They are so voracious, that not- 
withstanding the deep gashes they receive from the cut- 
ting spades, they rush upon the whale, and tear off large 
masses of blubber with their formidable jaws. Several 
times I trembled for the safety of the man who was en- 
deavoring to fix the blubber hook into the proper place, 
as a large shark came up within a few inches of his leg, 
and once I thrilled with horror as one of those ravenous 
monsters turned over in the attitude of seizing one of his 
limbs in his terrible teeth ; but at this moment a pull 
upon the rope extricated the man from his perilous situ- 
ation. Sharks of this species (the blue, peaked nose va- 
riety) rarely bite any one ; yet in the bloody water 
around the whale, they snap at whatever they can lay 



64 WHALINGSCENES. 

hold of, and the adventurous seaman is sometimes man- 
gled in the most horrible manner by their jaws, which are 
powerful enough to sever a limb instantly. —At one time 
the man had thrust the hook into the hole when 
his leg had struck, when he jumped upon the whale, 
and his limb would have been crushed, had not the 
hook slipped from the blubber at that instant. 

After the hook has been properly adjusted in the ori- 
fice cut for its reception, a gash is cut obliquely upon 
each side ; a turn or two is given at the windlass, and 
the blubber, yielding to the tremendous strain, becomes 
detached, and is unwound, while the whale rolls over 
and over, until the entire exterior coat, about a yard in 
breadth is torn off down to the flukes. When the strip 
of blubber has been elevated to some distance above the 
deck, the second set of cutting gear is brought into ser- 
vice ; and the strap and thimble are thrust through an 
opening cut into the blubber, and secured by the wooden 
bar fixed into it, while the blubber above it is severed 
and dropped into the blubber room, a space appropriated 
for the reception of it under the main hatch. Both the 
blubber hooks are dispensed with for the present, and the 
thimbles succeed one another alternately, until the body 
of the whale has been disposed of While this process has 
been going forward, the head has been cut off just behind 
the eyes, and secured to the main channels or by a rope 
passing on board and fastened to the maintopsail sheet 
bitts. The under jaw is then severed and hoisted in 
upon deck, and the remainder of the head after beino- 
divided into two triangular portions, is also taken aboard"! 
The head of the sperm whale is the most valuable part 
of the animal, containing by far the richest proportion 
of spermaceti, although the oil made from any part of the 
animal yields a certain proportion. Hence, it is always 



SPERM OIL 



65 



desirable to raise the head upon deck, if practicable ; if 
otherwise the " case," a cavity in the upper part of the 
head, is opened and bailed out, while the latter is firmly 
secured alongside the ship. The case is surrounded by 
a thick wall of a white, gristly substance, termed by the 
whalers " white horse ;" the cavity is lined with a yel- 
lowish fat, and is filled with oil of a very superior qual- 
ity, which, when warm, is perfectly limpid, but concretes 
in beautiful white masses, if allowed to become cold, or 
as it drips upon the water. 




Above is a representation of the outline of the sperm 
whale, with the sections into which his exterior coat is 
divided. The position of the cavity of the case is indi- 
cated by the letter a ; b, the junk ; c, bunch of the neck ; 
d, hump ; e, flukes ; /, /, blanket pieces, — spiral bands 
in which the blubber is unwound from the carcase ; g, 
orifice in the blubber for the reception of the blubber 
hook, attached to the cutting falls, h. 

It is to be remarked, that fresh oil has but very lit- 
tle or none of that nauseous, disagreeable odor that 
belongs to it when it is put into our lamps at home 
after two or three years have elapsed since it was ob- 
tained, and it is a common thing aboard whale ships 
to treat their crews with a quantity of dough nuts fried 
in the oil dipped from the case. 1 have no doubt 
they have a fine relish, and I should be very glad to try 

a* 



66 WHALING SCENES. 

some of them myself, although some time will probably 
elapse first, as the rule aboard the North America is not 
to have any dough nuts fried in head oil until there are 
a thousand barrels of oil on board. 

The larger of the two whales we took this morning, 
must have measured about forty feet, and the smaller 
about twenty-five feet. The length of the head was not 
far from twelve feet in the larger, and contained a cavity 
large enough to hold two or three men after the oil (sev- 
enty or eighty gallons) had been dipped out. 

Sperm whales have been captured of a length exceed- 
ing eighty feet, and a good estimate may be formed of 
the magnitude of the case, when it is known that over 
ten barrels of oil are frequently dipped from this cavity. 

The head oil and fat are immediately committed to the 
try-pots, while the blubber in the blubber room is cut up 
into angular pieces of two feet in length perhaps, by one 
foot in breadth. Meanwhile a fire has been kindled in 
the furnace, which is kept up night and day, until the 
oil is tried out and put up in casks. The tubs for hold- 
ing the blubber, of various sizes, are also brought up from 
" between decks," as well as the mincing horses, and 
mincing knives, sharp knives with a handle at each end, 
and used for cutting up the junks of blubber into small 
pieces. Some of the men are down among the blubber, 
others are engaged in sliding the tubs to the main hatch 
for the reception of blubber, and in pushing them back 
to the mincing horse upon the larboard side near the 
tryworks— others still, are employed about the mincing 
horse, while the officer of the watch with one or two 
boatsteerers, or the best men in his watch, superintend the 
tryworks. The fire is commenced with pieces of dry 
wood, and is afterwards supported with great intensity 
by the "scraps" or refuse pieces of blubber from which 



SPERM OIL. 67 

the oil has been tried out. The oil must be boiled in 
order to expel every thing of a watery nature that might 
have been mingled with it in its natural state, otherwise 
it cannot be preserved from corruption. As the boiling 
point of oil is far above that of water, the heat required 
is of a very high temperature, as is strikingly illustrated 
by the melting of solder off from any tin vessel intro- 
duced into the fluid. 

Great care is required in trying out, to prevent the oil 
from being burnt, and also to guard against the danger 
of water getting into the boiling cauldrons, which would 
immediately dash up in stea,m, and throw their contents 
around in every direction. Hence this process is very 
hazardous in boisterous weather, and appears to be 
dangerous enough at any time. When the oil has been 
boiled sufliciently, it will crepitate sharply if a little 
water is sprinkled upon it. The scraps are now taken 
out, and thrown into a tub with a perforated bottom to 
allow the oil to drain from them. They then look like 
pieces of fried pork, and taste very much like it, as I can 
testify from experience. Fresh pieces of blubber are now 
introduced into the pots, and the oil is bailed out into 
the cooler^ a large rectangular, copper vessel, capable of 
holding from six to ten barrels, provided with a stopcock 
fixed into the side with a perforated plate before it to 
prevent the escape of fine scraps that may happen to be 
floating about. The oil is drawn off" from the cooler 
into the deck pot, a large, spare iron pot, from which, 
while loarTn, it is poured into the casks, which slirink as 
the oil grows cold, thus allowing the hoops to be forced 
on farther than they could otherwise be driven. 

In trying out a whale, the respective watches are 
upon duty six hours instead of four, and of course, have 
a watch below of six hours. The fatigues of this part of 



68 WHALING SCENES. 

whaling are so great, that the ordinary rest of four iiours 
duration, is insufficient to revive the men. 

Tuesday^ December 3. The process of trying out 
continued without cessation, until yesterday afternoon, 
when after this laborious business was completed, the 
tubs, knives &c., were removed below, and the ship 
received a thorough scouring fore and aft, with strong 
alkali and sand applied with the scrub brooms. And 
indeed she required it, for the muddy scurf from the 
exterior of the whale uniting with the oil, does not 
improve the appearance of anything with which it comes 
in contact. The " trying out," was not however, so 
disgusting an operation as I had anticipated, as the 
cutting up of blubber and handling it, is confined to the 
waist and forward parts of the ship. 

The day after trying out is usually given to the crew 
of whalers, for the purpose of washing their clothes and 
cleaning themselves, and also as a period of rest after the 
fatigues they have just passed through. With the 
exception of manning the wheel and the mastheads 
therefore, no duty is required of the men. 



CHAPTER T. 

CROSSING THE LINE. 



Disagreeable and cruel tricks formerly practised on the 
"Green Horn" — Ceremonies of initiation into the myste- 
ries OF Neptune — Novel and interesting- aspect of the 

STARRY heavens IN ANOTHER HEMISPHERE — DELIGHTFUL WEATHER 

— Phosphorescence of the sea. 



Wednesday/, Dece7nhei^ 4. We crossed the Equator 
sometime this forenoon, in about thirty degrees West 
Longitude. We were expecting to do this, last Sunday, 
but the delay occasioned by the taking of whales cfcc, 
carried us so far from our course, that we have ever 
since been occupied in making the sixty or eighty miles 
that intervened before reaching the line. 

The crossing of the line, is considered an important 
event in a " greenhorn's" Ufe. It was formerly customary 
to compel him to pass through many disagreeable cere- 
monies in order to initiate him into the mysteries of 
jNeptune, and to propitiate the favor of his godship 
upon his future career over the ocean. In some ships it 
is still allowable to play all manner of tricks upon the 
novice, whatever may be his station aboard the vessel. 
If he happens to be of a very susceptible character, his 
imagination is stimulated by vivid descriptions of Nep- 
tune, and his awful appearance to the uninitiated, while 
crossing the line. Marvellous tales are also told him of 
the wrath of the deity which has always been displayed 
towards those, who upon this occasion refused to do 



70 CROSSING THE LINE. 

homage to his resistless sovereignty over the ocean. If 
the aspirant is particularly ignorant and credulous, he is 
induced to go aloft and remain there all day to look out 
for the line^ which he expects to find accurately drawn 
upon the face of the waters, by the hand of old father 
Neptune. The night before crossing, in particular, he 
is told to be on the watch for Neptune's light, which is 
always displayed near the Equator; and sure enough, 
during the evening, he discerns a bright light dancing 
upon the billows, not far from the ship, looking to his 
excited imagination like the lamp of some weird spirit. 

This is but the commencement of the ceremonies. 
After undergoing a plentiful ablution in the briny ele- 
ment, administered by bucketsfuU, he is blindfolded to 
await the awful presence of the king and queen of the 
ocean. Seated upon a board placed across the top of a 
large tub filled with salt water, he is presented with a 
huge tin trumpet, which he raises to his mouth and 
thunders forth, " Neptune a-hoy !" when a bucket of 
salt water is dashed into the mouth of the trumpet, 
accompanied by a push over backwards, which plunges 
him into the water underneath, headfirst, and he scram- 
bles out of the tub, almost strangled to death, with a 
most natural horror of the arcana of Neptune. As he 
recovers, his majesty makes his appearance over the 
side of the ship, arrayed in a fanciful costume, 
with long streamers of seaweed entwined in his hair, 
and bearing on high his mystic trident. He is accom- 
panied by Mrs. Neptune in the attire of the Queen 
of the Mermaids, and her presence is hailed with enthu- 
siastic devotion by all the genuine salts who have passed 
through the ordeal of initiation. 

After their majesties have mounted upon their thrones, 
(the tryworks for instance,) the novice is brought before 



INITIATION CEREMONIES. 71 

them and compelled to answer a great variety of ques- 
tions, (for his majesty is extremely inquisitive,) and 
should he persist in keeping his mouth shut, his tacitur- 
nity is broken by a thump under the chin. If he opens 
his mouth and becomes communicative to too great a 
degree, a stopper is introduced by one of his majesty's 
attendants, consisting of the most disgusting materials 
that can be collected together. The candidate is also 
often subjected to the process of being shorn by the mis- 
chievous attendants of the irresistible sea god. A piece 
of an iron hoop is produced, together with a bucket of 
" slush " and tar, which is plentifully daubed over the 
face of the novice, and scraped off with the iron hoop ! 
He is now instructed in a few wholesome rules, such as 
not to smoke his pipe upon the quarter deck — when he 
goes aft to take the lee side of the deck, (fcc, each article of 
the code being pounded into his comprehension and re- 
membrance by a tremendous thump on the back. — As 
the grand finale which gives him an indisputable claim 
to the title of seaman^ he is '•'■ keel-hauled ^ i. e. a rope 
is " bent " around his body, and he is thrown overboard to 
be drawn under the ship and hauled up on the other 
side ! He is now considered as regularly inducted into 
the mysteries of Neptune, after having sworn '-'- by the 
pumps, the chains, the channels, and all abaft the miz- 
zen rigging " to observe all the requisitions of the sea 
god. 

These disagreeable and cruel ceremonies, which were 
formerly observed very generally, have for the most part 
become disused. On board the North America, nothing 
of the kind was tolerated. With the exception of Nep- 
tune's light, which was discovered upon the waters last 
Saturday night, as the handiwork of Mr. Freeman, no 
attempt was made to play tricks upon the green horns. 



72 CROSSING THE LINE. 

Thus we have crossed the line, and at this moment 
are fifteen or twenty leagues southward of it. I have 
just been upon deck to take a look at the stars. The 
north star, that has been slowly descending in the sky, 
evening after evening, has sunk below the horizon, 
and with it the remembrance of home brought so vividly 
to mind in the evening sky, and the fond associations 
the silent stars are calculated to inspire, have seemed to 
set. 

Saturday^ Dec. 7. We are now about seven degrees 
to the southward of the equator, and tlie mild air of the 
trade wind is impelling us forward over a smooth sea. 
The days are lengthening rapidly, and the temperature 
of the atmosphere is most delightful, the thermometer 
ranging at seventy-six or eighty degrees in the shade. 
It is most refreshing to sit in the shadow of the sails, and 
inhale the exhilarating breeze, and. to view the ocean 
breaking into bright waves with snowy crests, and to 
trace the serene sky shading off into mellow light until 
it meets the deep blue waters, where it is reflected in 
their heaving undulations. 

I have often at night, leaned over the ship's side and 
for a long time watched the phosphorescent spangles 
that seemed to dance upon the sea, as it has been agita- 
ted by our progress over the depths. Even in our lati- 
tude at home, sea water phosphoresces beautifully when 
agitated ; but this exhibition is faint in comparison with 
what we have in these tropical regions. Around the 
bow, along the side, and in the wake of the ship, the sea 
seems to be on fire. Countless spangles emerge from 
the troubled waters, while brilliant phosphorescent 
flashes and globes of light of great size, illuminate the 
ship^s path. Occasionally a wave breaks at a distance 
from the vessel, and from its crest issues a ball of light 



PHOSPHORESCENCE. 73 

that seems to play upon the dark waters like the flicker- 
ing rays of the ignis fatuiis. The porpoises and other 
animals that sport around the ship, leave a luminous 
train after them, winding frequently in serpentine curves. 
There is also in these latitudes a gelatinous substance, a 
species of the medusas, called by the seamen the ^^ sea 
cucuwherj^ from a resemblance to the garden cucumber 
in size and shape. It exists in vast quantities within the 
tropics, and when disturbed by the ship, emits a brilliant 
phosphorescence. In rough weather it is often thrown 
upon deck, and rolls down to leeward like a fire-ball. 

7 



CHAPTER VI. 



CRUISE IN THE SOUTH ATLANTIC. 
Fall in with the " Messenger " of New-Bedford — Sickness on 

BOARD THIS SHIP — MeDICAL PRACTICE OF SEA-CAPTAINS — FaLL IN 

WITH THE " William and Eliza" — Social habits of whalers — 
Whaling Scenes — Versatility of talent requisite for an 
accomplished seaman — Dress and manners of the crew — Mr. 
Freeman's soirees — Annoyances on ship-board — Christmas — 
Mechanical ebiployments of the men. 

Tuesday^ Dec. 10. Upon going on deck this morn- 
ing after breakfast, we saw a ship upon oar weather 
quarter standing towards us, and from her taking in sail, 
concluded she was desirous of speaking us ; accordingly, 
we hauled our maintopsail aback, awaiting the approach 
of the stranger. She came down beautifully before the 
wind, and passing close astern, clewed up her main 
course, and backed her maintopsail within a short dis- 
tance to leeward. She proved to be the " Messenger of 
New-Bedford," and as she passed us, we were hailed by 
her captain, who requested Captain K. to come on board 
his ship and prescribe for the mate who was lying dan- 
gerously sick. 

A boat was soon in readiness, and by Capt. Richards's 
invitation, I accompanied him on board the "Messen- 
ger." The neat exterior of this little ship (her tonnage 
is less than three hundred) corresponded with what we 
saw on board of her. The deck was white and clean, 
and every thing was in good order and nicely painted. 
We descended into a handsome, light, and airy cabin, 
with ranges of state rooms upon each side. The pantry 



SICKMAN. 75 

door stood open, displaying the culinary furniture taste- 
fully arranged upon the shelves. 

In one of the state rooms lay the sick man. He had 
been laboring under a violent fever for a long time, 
which had affected his mind, so that it was with some 
difficulty we were able to ascertain his exact state of 
feeling. The fever appeared to have abated, owing to 
his having taken an emetic which reduced the febrile 
symptoms. 

Capt. Kendrick, of the Messenger, said that he knew 
nothing of the treatment necessary, and requested Capt. 
R. to prescribe whatever he thought proper. It is a 
wonder indeed, that sailors escape the effects of disease 
as often as they do, since they are out of the reach of 
medical advice for so long a time. Every master of a 
vessel is the physician and surgeon aboard his ship ; his 
medicines are all numbered corresponding to certain 
numbers in a little pamphlet of directions accompanying 
them, and whenever necessary, he makes a selection ac- 
cording to the best of his judgment. 

After prescribing what we thought his case required, 
and directing the invalid to be kept cool, we went down 
the ship's side into our boat, after agreeing with the 
master of the Messenger to sail in company with him 
for a few days. Soon after we regained the North 
America, the Messenger stood off until her hull sank 
below the horizon ; then hauling her wind, she contin- 
ued on the same course parallel with us all day. 

Towards evening, she gradually drew up within a 
couple of miles of us, and hung out her signal lantern 
which was answered from the North America. 

It is a very pleasant thing to sail in company in this 
way. A long voyage is relieved of its tedious monotony, 
and you feel that you are not alone upon the wide 



76 CRUISE IN THE SOUTH ATLANTIC. 

waters, but that there are those near you who welcome 
you with an interest that nothing but a long seclusion 
from society can inspire. By the way, I have said 
nothing about my medical pursuits, since leaving the 
United States. Having always had a penchant for 
medical studies, I brought among my books for the 
voyage, several works upon medicine, which have been 
studied with great interest. In several cases of sickness 
that we have had, Capt. R., has had confidence enough 
in me to consult me, and very fortunately, in every 
instance my suggestions have proved successful ; so that 
I have become a sort of doctor on board ; and having a 
medicine chest of my own, containing some medicines 
not fouM in the ship's chest, I have had no small run 
of practice for a tyro. 

Wednesday^ Dec. 11. Our^ consort preserved her 
distance from us until about one o'clock this afternoon, 
when she luifed up towards us, for the purpose of speak- 
ing us. Upon nearing us, she hove to, and we went 
astern of her, communicating with Capt. Kendrick, who 
requested us to come on board his ship again, and take 
a look at his mate. Capt. Richards requested me to go 
off to the Messenger with the second mate. Just as we 
were leaving the North America, another ship, which 
had been in sight all the morning, astern of us, now 
came up and rounded to under our lee. The sea was 
very " rugged," and we mounted upon the ridges ^of the 
rolling billows, and descended again, while the huge 
waves threatened to engulf us, until we reached the 
Messenger. Mounting in a boat upon the surges of the 
open ocean, is a very different matter from gliding along 
on the smooth waters of our bays or sounds. 

We found the invalid somewhat better, although 
having never been sick before, he was inclined to be 



SHIP WILLIAM AND ELIZA. 77 

despairing of recovery and faithless in the efficacy of 
medicines ; a moderate supply of faith would render his 
case altogether more encouraging, as a confident reliance 
upon the efficacy of medicine is often, I have no doubt, 
of more avail than the medicine itself. 

Returning to the North America, Capt. Richards 
invited me to accompany him on board the other ship, 
the " William and Eliza," of New Bedford ; her captain 
had some time previously broken his leg, and requested 
Capt. R., to give his advice respecting it. We boarded 
the stranger, and found the master sitting upon deck, 
looking much better than we had expected to see him. 
Both bones of the lower part of the leg near the ankle, 
had been fractured, but the fracture was healing in a 
very favorable manner. We were conducted into a very 
handsome cabin, where we had some conversation about 
the news from home. The captain of this ship had been 
out from thirty to thirty five days, but had taken no oil. 
The news he gave us, that all the banks were upon the 
eve of suspending specie payments, was of no very 
agreeable character, as may be easily imagined. 

We were obliged to decline the very pressing invita- 
tion of the captain to take supper with him, as Capt. R., 
was unwilling to remain away from his ship in rough 
weather. We did so much against our will, as the 
promise of " fresh grub," was exceedingly tempting, after 
the liberal exercise we have had upon '' salt junk " for 
some time before. A large pig was hanging up ready for 
cooking, while an abundance of goats, ducks <fcc., ren- 
dered it the more trying to resist the Captain's earnest 
solicitations to take supper with him. 

Every thing looked neat and in excellent order aboard 
the " William and Eliza," and I left her with very favor- 
able impressions of the New Bedford whalers. 



78 CRUISE IN THE SOUTH ATLANTIC. 

It is customary for the masters and officers of whalers, 
while cruising upon the same "grounds," to make 
frequent interchanges of visits. Towards evening the 
ships draw near to one another, to allow their officers an 
opportunity of having a "gam," which continues some- 
times to a late hour, when all their various whaling 
adventures are narrated over a good supper, got up in 
the best style the ship can exhibit. 

With regard to my newly acquired title of " doctor," 
which was given me aboard these ships, I must say that 
I have been enabled to bear the honor with all becoming 
humility. It was, however, with some difficulty that 
I kept my countenance, when they invited the "doctor" 
down into the cabin to see the invalids. On board the 
" William and Eliza," the mate came up to me and said, 
"Well, doctor^ what do you think of the mate of the 
Messenger ? Do you think there is any probability of 
his recovery?" Upon which, assuming a professional 
air, that would have been creditable to an old practitioner, 
I answered without hesitation — " Yes, certainly, he will 
be well enough before long, if nothing happens unfavor- 
ably ;" an opinion not far from the truth, and generally 
applicable in all cases of sickness. 

Aboard the " William and Eliza," I was asked several 
questions about the Captain's leg, which would have 
puzzled me, were it not that I had picked up a little 
anatomy from the college lectures, and was master of a 
few facts and terms which passed, at such a distance from 
the faculty, for a profound knowledge of the healing art. 

Thus much in vindication of my title of " doctor. ^^ In 
the enjoyment of this dignity, I am not alone, however, 
on board. Mr. Freeman, among his cognomens of 
"Spot," "Jumbo," "Congo," and "Skillet," receives the 
title of " Doctor," by virtue of his office, not from his 



SOCIAL HABITS OF WHALERS. 79 

medical abilities, but from his talent for uniting together 
marvellous ingredients in the compounds he prepares. 

Friday^ Dec. 13. Yesterday, about noon, a large 
school of Sperm Whales was seen directly ahead about 
four miles oiF, moving very rapidly to windward, having 
been "gallied"or alarmed by the " Messenger," which 
ran in among them before they were perceived. We 
set our maincourse, flying gib and spanker, and braced 
up sharp upon the wind, with the hope of having an 
opportunity of "going on to them." It was a very 
animating scene on board ; the men sprang to their 
stations with great alacrity, and "there she blows," 
" there she breeches," " there goes flukes," was echoed 
from thirty deeply interested spectators. 

Early in the afternoon, a large whale was seen imme- 
diately under our lee beam, about half a mile off". The 
boats were soon in chase, but after an unsuccessful 
pursuit of an hour and a half, they returned, having 
rested upon their oars for nearly half an hour, while 
the whale was " down." He was a large animal, and 
would have made probably, sixty or seventy barrels 
of oil. 

This morning, our consort was observed to have 
backed her maintop-sail, an indication that something 
was seen, and accordingly we bore down for her. As 
we neared her, we saw that her boats had not been 
lowered, and seeing no whales, we lufted up into the 
wind and stood off" in another direction. Just then, 
"There she blows," was sounded and repeated from 
the masthead ; and within a couple of miles ofl" our 
lee bow, a large school of sperm whales was seen 
blowing in frequent jets d'eau, and moving rapidly 
away from the ship. The boats were soon lowered, 
and came up with them just as they went down, 



80 CRUISE IN THE SOUTH ATLANTIC. 

when they " hove up" to await their reappearance. In 
a short time a large whale is seen heading to windward 
of the school. The boats are shooting after him with 
bending oars — one of them takes the lead and by a 
desperate effort, ranges up alongside the whale — the 
boatsteerer darts his harpoon, but the weapon glances 
harmlessly across the back of the monsterj which disap- 
pears in a long line of white foam. 

After this failure, the whales were too shy to allow 
the boats to come near them, and they were recalled. 
The general disappointment in the prospect of capturing 
a whale that would make seventy barrels of oil, may be 
easily imagined. This is the second opportunity this 
boatsteerer has misimproved in a similar manner ; and if 
another failure like this should happen, he will incur 
the risk of being turned before tiie mast, and one of the 
foremost hands substituted in his place. A failure like 
this is a serious loss, since a sperm whale large enough 
to make seventy barrels of oil, is worth not far from 
two thousand three hundred dollars. 

It is every man's interest to exert himself to the utmost ; 
for in the whaling business it is almost universally the 
custom to ship men upon shares. Each man, from 
Captain to green hand, ships for a certain " lay" or share 
in the profits of the voyage, which is calculated when 
the ship returns home. The Captain for instance, 
receives an eighteenth perhaps ; the mate a forty fifth, 
down to the greenhand, who gets only a hundred and 
sixty fifth of all the oil obtained during the voyage. 
This stimulates all to do their best, and enables them 
to sustain the great fatigues they are called upon to 
encounter, without murmuring. 

Monday^ Dec. 16. — This morning, judging by the 
maneuvres of the "Messenger," that whales were in 



WHALINGSCENES. 81 

sight, we bore down for her, and when about half a mile 
off, we saw several spouts, not a great distance from the 
ship. Immediately the ship was rounded to, and three 
of the boats were lowered. Upon reaching the place 
where the whales had made their appearance, the boats 
"hove up" to await their coming up to blow. In the 
mean time, the " Messenger's" boats passed by us and 
followed our boats in the chase. They had nearly 
reached the latter, when Capt. R., and myself, (who 
had stationed ourselves upon the foretopsail yard) 
discovered whales blowing about a mile off on our lee 
beam. A signal was instantly made to the boats, by the 
man at the main-top-gallant mast head, and they were 
springing at the oar, while Capt. R., put off in his boat. 
A man is stationed at the main-top-gallant mast head, 
with a " waif," a balloon about eighteen inches in diam- 
eter, fastened upon the end of a rod, with which he 
points in the direction of the whales. 

The whales were not seen after this, and all the boats 
returned to their respective ships, to console themselves 
for their disappointments by hopes of future success. 

As we came up from dinner, we found all the crew 
gathered upon the forecastle, and merrily singing out, 
" There she blows. There she blows," in a very musical 
chorus. 

Again the boats were lowered, and in pursuit, with 
every prospect of success, as the whale or whales, were 
but a short distance off. But after a fruitless chace of 
two or three hours, they returned, the men almost 
exhausted from the severe labors of the day. 

The Captain has determined to cruise for some time 
in this region. Upon three days out of five, we have 
seen schools of sperm whales, although we have taken 
nothing, a fair specimen of the alternate hopes and 



82 CRUISE IN THE SOUTH ATLANTIC. 

disappointments attendant on a whaler's life. Whales 
are rarely seen oftener than once a week, even in the 
best " cruising grounds" of the Pacific, and sometimes 
month after month intervenes, without discovering a 
single whale. 

I have been thus minute in transcribing daily occur- 
rences, to exhibit the excitement and animation that 
pervade a whaleship, whenever whales are seen, and also 
to represent the toilsome duties connected with the whal- 
ing business. There is no mode of life, it appears to me, 
requiring so great a variety of talent, as the seafaring busi- 
ness. Every sailor must be a "jack of all trades ;" he must 
have mechanical talent sufficient for making all repairs 
upon the sails, rigging, iron and woodwork of the ship ; 
and as he is absent from port for months together, he 
must have a talent for shoemaking and tailoring. With 
regard to the mending of old clothes, the crew are 
indefatigable. Coats and pantaloons which a tailor in 
any christian country would pronounce to be " unsea- 
worthy," they work upon, and cover over with patches 
of various colors, until not a vestige of the original is 
left. Flannels are variegated in a wonderfully fanciful 
manner by the many gay colors with which they are 
darned. The performances of the men with their 
needles, are however by no means contemptible. 

A genuine son of the ocean, can almost always be 
recognized by his costume and balancing gait. He 
disdains the confinement of a pair of suspenders which 
would impede the action of his arms in pulling and 
working about the rigging ; but his pantaloons of very 
ample dimensions, fit tight to the waist, and are secured 
by a leathern belt, buckled around him, attached to 
which is his inseparable companion, a " sheath-knife,^ 
with a blade about six inches long. This he constantly 



HABITS OF SAILORS. 83 

uses in his employment about the ship, and when his 
dinner is ready, it carves his meat. 

The dialect on board would be very amusing to a 
landsman. For '^ladling out soup from the turreen," 
they would say, "bailing out soup from the keeler." 
The sounding lead is called the " blue pigeon," and the 
signal flag for a pilot, displayed at the foremast head, 
goes by the name of "Blue Peter." A quadrant re- 
ceives the very undignified and unphilosophical name 
of a " hog-yoke." There are also numerous phrases ta- 
ken from the maneuvres of a ship, and nautical similes 
are introduced into conversation, some of which are ex- 
tremely forcible, if well understood. Living upon an 
element, every aspect of which is an object of solicitude 
to him, the sailor becomes a close observer of what takes 
place around him ; and accustomed to face danger in 
some of its most terrific forms, he acquires a hardihood 
of character, and an independence of mind, which the cir- 
cumstances in which he is placed are so well fitted to 
produce. 

Sailors almost universally make use of tobacco in the 
forms of smoking or chewing. Their delicious junk is 
carried in their pockets along with a clasp knife, sundry 
bits of rope yarn, and a variety of other things. From 
the moment they " turn out," a large quid is introduced, 
to be renewed as often as occasion requires, until they 
" turn in " again. Some of the men have laid in from 
fifty to seventy pounds of tobacco as their solace for the 
voyage, and will probably have to obtain a fresh supply 
from the captain before they return home. It is em- 
phatically the sailor's solace in the watches of the stormy 
night. In the evening the sailor takes his pipe, and 
seated upon the windlass forgets the hardships he 



84 CRUISE IN THE SOUTH ATLANTIC. 

constantly experiences in the exhilarating fumes of the 
narcotic. 

There are over two thousand pounds of tobacco on 
board belonging to the ship's stores, all of which will be 
applied to the use of the crew, or bartered away with 
the natives of the places we happen to visit, in the Pa- 
cific, who are said to be exceedingly fond of it. 

Thursday^ Dec, 19. I have just been upon deck 
amusing myself with the performances of Mr. Freeman 
upon the violin, accompanied by his sable fellow-min- 
strel, the steward. It is a beautiful evening, although 
the " struggling moonbeams' misty light " is but dimly 
reflected from the waters. 

The men were for the most part assembled between 
the try works and the mainmast, where some sand was 
sprinkled upon the deck for the convenience of the dan- 
cers. Mr. Freeman was perched upon an inverted 
bucket placed in the frame work of the blacksmith's 
forge — an apparatus looking very much like those portly 
old fashioned arm chairs, that have long since gone out 
of date. When every thing was ready, Mr. Freeman 
rose up, and with many bows, requested "the gentlemen 
to digest themselves into readiness to make a few moles- 
tions on the floor." Accompanying this invitation with 
sundry flourishes of his fiddle bow, he commenced saw- 
ing away in the most enthusiastic manner, but perceiv- 
ing that his exertions did not meet with corresponding 
effort, he suddenly stopped in the middle of one of his 
most brilliant strains, and indignantly enquired " What 
ails you there Tom and Dave ; why don't you dance ? 
A'nt you going to exasperate (exhibit) a little of the 
light fantastic ?" This eloquent appeal was irresistible, 
and the dance proceeded to our great amusement until 
eight bells (eight o'clock) when the fiddle becam.e silent. 



ANNOYANCES ON BOARD, 85 

and all hands dispersed, with the exception of those on 
daty. 

Monday^ Dec. 23. For some time past the weather 
has been squally and unpleasant. The wind usually 
moderates towards night, but in the morning increases 
again, and blows fresh about the middle of the day. It 
comes from the eastward, and its regular increase and 
decrease is owing to the action of the sun's rays, which 
in the morning pouring down upon the continent of 
South America, rarifies the air to such a degree that the 
sea air flows in with considerable force, extending two 
or three hundred miles beyond the coast ; and towards 
night the wind goes down as the sun recedes. 

The air is cool and pleasant during the day, but at 
night to sleep in my hot and confined state-room, is al- 
most impossible. Add to this the annoying presence of 
the black -legged gentry about an inch and a quarter 
long, that we have taken some slight cognizance of be- 
fore. These rascals with their long antennae extending 
out upon each side of their eyes, and their wings folded 
up, have a truly formidable appearance. They are not 
peculiar to ships, however, but are well known, though 
unwelcome visiters, in many a kitchen, racing about in 
every direction, to the great annoyance of frugal house- 
wives. In warm weather they swarm about in prodi- 
gious numbers, and at their " gatherings " make a noise 
like a flock of quails among the dry leaves of the forest. 
They are extremely voracious, and destroy almost every 
thing they can find ; their teeth are so sharp, the sailors 
say, that they will eat ofi" the edge of a razor. 

Thursday, Dec. 26. Yesterday was Christmas, the 
commencement of the holidays, celebrated with such 
hearty good will by all our dear friends in America. 

Early in the morning, Mr. Freeman made his appear- 



86 CRUISE IN THE SOUTH ATLANTIC. 

ance in the cabin, wishing us all round " Merry Christ- 
maSj and that all subsequious occasions might be felici- 
tating.^^ 

Our dinner was very palatable, although limited to 
salt pork and mush, a truly temperate feast for Christ- 
mas. Nor were we wreathed with gay festoons of ever- 
greens, but around us the deep blue sea breaking in ma- 
ny a foaming crest, and sparkling at night with myriads 
of golden spangles, was our only drapery. 

Owing to the squally weather we had a few days 
since, we left our cruising ground in latitude 17° south, 
and drove on in a south-westerly course before the wind. 
Although we are impelled by a powerful breeze, yet the 
heat, particularly at night, is very oppressive in the 
cabin. I have been so much incommoded by it for sev- 
eral nights past, that I determined to try sleeping upon 
deck. Accordingly, with a boat sail, I made a kind of 
tent near the stern of the ship, and with my cloak wrap- 
ped around me, stretched myself out upon deck to sleep. 
I have often before heard of the virtues of a hard bed, 
but have never tested them so fully before. 

The deck of our ship usually presents a very busy 
scene. The blacksmith is plying his bellows and the 
cooper and the carpenter have each enough to do in their 
respective mechanical employments. No one is allow- 
ed to be idle, with one exception, and he often " lends a 
hand " whenever he may be of use ; and in studies or 
mechanical contrivances, leads a diligent life and makes 
the time pass away very pleasantly. 

There is nothing I would urge upon the invalid go- 
ing to sea for his health, of so much importance as a va- 
riety of regular occupations which shall employ all his 
time, and avert the first approaches of ennui. It is the 



EMPLOYMENTS OF THE MEN. 87 

only way to relieve the otherwise insupportable monot- 
ony of a long voyage. 

There is always a plenty of work to be done aboard 
a shipj to employ the men in the watch upon deck. 
When there is nothing else to do, they pick to pieces 
old ropes, and splice together the separate yarns, which 
are then twisted together and form spim yarn. The 
apparatus made use of consists of a heavy wheel of about 
eighteen inches in diameter, giving momentum to an 
axle about three feet in length upon the end of which 
furthest from the wheel, is the spindle, to which motion 
is communicated by means of a rope wound around the 
axle two or three times, drawn tight, and relaxed alter- 
nately, until the required velocity is produced. The 
machine is set upon one of the windlass-bitts, and the 
yarns lead along the deck as far back as the mizzen 
mast. As the spindle revolves, the man who makes the 
spun yarn, commencing close to the spindle, moves back- 
wards from it, rubbing the yarns vigorously with a piece 
of cloth dipped in oil, so as to render the spun yarn fine 
and smooth. In this way, thousands of yards of spun 
yarn are made every voyage, an indispensable article 
aboard ship. Three yarns are also often spun together 
by means of three spindles to which motion is commu- 
nicated by large tooth wheels acting upon three smaller 
ones. 

All the shrouds and stays of a ship are carefully 
protected from the friction of the running rigging, by 
being " served" or wound around with spun yarn. 
Some of them are covered with mats of spun yarn 
woven very neatly together. These are usually home- 
made, and the process of manufacture is as follows. 

A number of spun yarns corresponding to the required 
breadth of the mat, are stretched parallel to one another 



88 CRUISE IN THE SOUTH ATLANTIC. 

across the deck, passing" through a frame work of paral- 
lel bars, which retains every other one and allows the 
remainder to move freely between them. The person 
who works the frame, carries it down, and consequently, 
the spun yarns retained by the bars, are thrown down 
below the level of the other ; the weaver stands ready 
with two balls of twine, which he passes across the 
yarns between the separate ranks, and the work is 
rendered compact by means of the sioord, a long, thin 
piece of hard wood, playing between the ranks of spun 
yarn. The frame is now raised, and the same steps are 
repeated, until the mat is finished. To prevent the 
chafing of the rigging and spars, there are other kinds of 
mats made use of, as well as " Scotchmen," of various 
descriptions. Upon different occasions during the voyage, 
the entire rigging is '• set up" or tightened, and every few 
days some new rope is to be substituted for one which 
has become stranded. In the repairing of the sails, the 
sewing of rigging, knotting and splicing ropes in every 
variety of form, and the care of the boats, the officers find 
employment enough for the men while upon duty. 
Every Saturday afternoon, the masts are "slushed 
down" by the men in their turn, commencing with the 
royal masts and descending to the caps of the lower 
masts. 

During the hours of work, no trifling of any kind is 
allowed, and any one seen indulging in " skylarking," 
subjects himself to the danger of being sent aloft, or 
stationed at the wheel for many tedious hours, besides 
going without his usual allowance. 
- After supper, however, from six to eight o'clock, is the 
season for amusements of every variety. The officers 
are conversing together in the after part of the ship, 
while the men assembled around the windlass, are 



EMPLOYMENTS OF THE MEN. 89 

smoking their pipes, •' spinning yarns," or listening to a 
song from Mr. Freeman, or dancing to the sound of his 
violin. It is sometimes supposed that but very little 
discipline is observed at sea, except aboard a man of 
war ; a wrong impression however, for although our 
ship makes no higher pretensions than that of a whaler, 
yet obedience is as well understood here, as on the decks 
of a line of battle ship. It is necessary that such should 
be the case ; for in all stations of command over others, 
the forms of respect must be rigidly adhered to, or all 
authority ceases. 

8* 



CHAPTER VIL 

APPROACH TO CAPE HORN, 



Gale of wind— Game of these seas — The porpoise — Turtle 
— Pilot fish — Squally weather — Preparations for doubling 
Cape Horn — Novel aspect of the diurnal revolutions, and 
OF the celestial bodies in these high latitudes — Capture 
OF an Albatross — Preparations for the cape. 



Monday^ Dec. 30. — Yesterday morning after a rainy, 
uncomfortable night, the wind began to veer around to 
the southward, increasing until it blew up into a gale. 
The ship was "laid to" under a close reefed maintopsail, 
mizzen staysail, and foretopmast staysail with every 
prospect of a stormy night. A ship is said to " lay to" in 
a gale of wind, when all the sails are carefully furled 
with the exception of those that are necessary to enable 
her to present her head to the sea, in which case she 
surmounts the surges instead of being swept by them. 
It is always advisable to carry as much sail as prudence 
allows to prevent the ship from rolling to windward, a 
situation of particular exposure to the fury of the sea. 

About midnight, the wind began to abate, and this 
morning we are enjoying a clear and cool atmosphere, 
reminding me of a lovely morning in September, at 
home, with the white clouds sailing along the pure 
depths of the sky. 

Soon after breakfast, a school of porpoises was an- 
nounced as playing around the bows of the ship. I 
watched them for some time indulging in their playful 



SEA-GAME. 91 

gambols, now springing several feet out of water, then 
darting across the ship's path, and returning again with 
great velocity. Their sport was not long undisturbed. 
One of the boatsteerers stationed himself with a harpoon, 
upon the martingale guy under the bowsprit. The 
deadly weapon is poised and suddenly darted at two or 
three of them in quick succession, as they shoot across 
the bow of the ship. At the third plunge of the harpoon, 
the poor animal is pierced through the neck, and the 
barbed iron is bent completely around and caught upon 
the shaft, so that there is no chance for escape. In his 
agony he springs out of water, and throws himself 
wildly in every direction, while the blood is streaming 
out from the deep gashes in his neck. The moment he 
is struck, a dozen hands are hold of the line, and the 
poor animal is drawn upon deck respiring heavily from 
the open wound. 

The porpoise belongs to the class cetacean and of 
course is enveloped in blubber, usually about half an 
inch in thickness. He is also obliged to rise to the 
surface of the sea to breathe, a distinguishing character- 
istic of the cetaceous family. 

The porpoise is a well known visitant of our harbors 
and bays, but this species is somewhat diiferent from 
those we meet at sea, of which there are also several 
varieties. The specimen we took to-day was of the 
most common species. He was about five feet in length, 
with strong pectoral fins, thick dorsal fin, and with 
broad flukes, moving horizontally like those of the whale. 

The Porpoise rarely descends to any great depth, and 
is said to manifest a strong aversion to the contentions 
of the angry waters in a gale of wind, which he avoids 
by an instinctive prescience of its approach. I have heard 
that when great numbers of them are seen moving 



92 APPROACH TO CAPE HORN. 

swiftly on a given course, a gale may be expected to 
blow up from the quarter from which they came. 

" These fleetest coursers of the finny race 
When threatening clouds th' etherial vault deface, 
Their route to leeward still sagacious form. 
To shun the fury of th' approaching storm. 

Falconer's Shipwbeck. 

The blubber was very soon stripped off, and the car- 
cass suspended near the cook's galley, to the great de- 
light of those that have not tasted any fresh meat since 
we left America. Porpoise meat is of a dark color, re- 
sembling the liver of land animals, and is as tender as 
the tenderest beef steak. The lower jaw of the por- 
poise contains a quantity of very fine oil lodged in the 
cavities where it unites with the skull bone. It, is used 
by watchmakers and others for lubricating delicate ma- 
chinery. The oil extracted from the blubber is also of 
very superior quality, but a single porpoise rarely yields 
over a gallon and a half 

The flesh of the whale immediately investing the car- 
case, is of a dark purple color, with coarse fibres having 
numerous white tendons traversing the mass, and is 
hardly considered edible, although his tongue is esteem- 
ed a delicacy by those that have seen nothing but "salt 
junk" for a long time. 

Specimens of the porpoise have been served up at ta- 
ble, a dish by no means contemptible. This evening 
we partook of rather a novel dish — " flippers " flavored 
with porpoise's brains ! I made a very hearty supper, 
but was ignorant of the nature of my repast, until it 
was afterwards explained to me. Some persons doubt- 
less, would be disgusted at the idea of making porpoise 
meat an article of food ; but there are many things we con- 
ceive a disrelish for from mere prejudice. One part of 



SEA GAME. 93 

the world abhors swine's flesh, while the rest esteem it a 
particular delicacy. The natives of some of the Pacific 
Islands consider baked dog a great luxury, and a trick 
served upon the officers of a certain man-of-war at one of 
those islands, shows how far prejudice operates in produ- 
cing a preference for certain articles of food, and an an- . 
tipathy to others. At dinner some of the officers were 
exclaiming against the fondness for baked dog exhibited 
by the natives at one of their grand feasts, while the 
jpork they were feasting upon, they pronounced to be the 
best flavored they had ever tasted. Unconsciously to 
them, however, a baked dog had been brought upon 
the table with a pig's head sewed on in place of his 
own ; a deception they did not discover until they had 
participated largely in the reprobated dish. Their dis- 
gust may be easily imagined. 

Tuesday^ Dec. 31. The wind this morning died 
away, and a calm succeeded with a smooth sea, the first 
we have had since we left America. The blue sky was 
serene, giving to the v/ide spreading waters its own 
beautiful tint. The air too was delightfully mild, in- 
stead of the chilly temperature of yesterday ; and we 
were silent and alone upon the mighty waters, save a 
distant sail upon our starboard quarter. 

To diversify the occasion a turtle made his appearance 
on our starboard beam. A boat was lowered and was 
darting in pursuit, while I ran up into the mizzen rig- 
ging to get a sight of the animal — a glimpse of which I 
could just catch as the sunbeams glistened from his 
head. He was swimming indolently upon the surface 
of the w^ater about half a mile off, and did not appear to 
be alarmed at the approach of the boat, until receiving a 
thrust of the lance through both shells, he was hauled 
on board the boat after some ineffectual struggles to escape. 



94 APPROACH TO CAPE HORN. 

This variety is called the " Logger Head " turtle by 
those on board, and I adopt the name from ignorance of 
his proper one. He was from eighteen to twenty inches 
in length, having a shell much arched, and soft, unfit 
therefore, for any use, although it resembled in color 
that used by the combmakers at home. He was very 
fat, and made a delicious soup for supper. The meat 
was white and very delicate like that of the breast of a 
fowl. We are living upon the fat of the ocean ! por- 
poise steaks, cutlets and fricassee, with turtle soup intro- 
duced very appropos by way of variety. 

January 1, 1840. The weather has been calm like 
that of yesterday, and several other turtles have been 
seen basking upon the surface of the sea. A boat was 
lowered for one this afternoon, but lie went down just as 
he was about to receive his death wound. Another 
came very near being run over by the ship this evening, 
as he lay motionless and apparently asleep upon the 
water. 

This morning hearing from some one that a pilot fish 
had stationed himself under the bow of the ship, I made 
ready a fish line, and placed myself under the bowsprit 
to try my luck upon him. After many unsuccessful ef- 
forts, and when my patience was nearly exhausted, I 
had the pleasure of seeing him fairly hooked. 

The pilot fish varies in length from eight to fifteen 
inches which was the length of the specimen I captur- 
ed. His dorsal and ventral fins are extended backwards 
to his tail, near which projects a narrow fin, set horizon- 
tally upon each side of his body. His lateral and pecto- 
ral fins are large, and the former, together with the ex- 
tremities of his tail, are beautifully tipped with white. 
The color upon his back is of a deep indigo blue, sha- 
ded off into a lighter tint in the lower part of his body, 



SEA GAME. 95 

having three or four broad bands of a deeper shade, ex- 
tending three-fourths of the way around. The pilot 
fish is almost always seen in company with the shark 
swimming along, side by side with his ferocious mate. 
He frequently accompanies ships also, for many hours, 
and sometimes, days together, hovering about the bow or 
stern, and every little while darting off upon his prey. 

Thursday^ Jan. 2. The wind has been increasing 
since morning, and now blows rather fresh. Towards 
the latter part of the afternoon, the welcome cry " There 
she bre-e-ches," brought every one upon deck — the ship 
was braced up sharp on the wind, and we were dashing 
forv/ard to make out what kind of animal it was that 
was seen. We stood on for half an hour, and then gave 
up the chase, as the alarm was occasioned by a school 
of " killers," that were throwing themselves out of water. 
They are a species of cetacea considerably larger than 
the porpoise, and are so called by the whalers from their 
attacking the young of the sperm whale and eating them 
up by piece-meal. All marine animals that are not 
known to whalers by a particular name, receive the gen- 
eral appellation of " spirits." 

Monday^ Jan. 6. On Saturday last, rain fell at inter- 
vals all day. When I arose in the morning, I perceived 
an unusual color in the ocean ; it was of a greenish tint, 
unlike the deep blue over which we have been travers- 
ing, and I attributed it at first to the clouds which tint 
the sea with many a varied hue. Capt. R., however, in- 
formed me that the change in the color of the sea was 
owing to the comparative shallowness of the water, al- 
though we were still ofi" soundings. Nearer in shore are 
extensive banks like the Newfoundland banks, which are 
frequented by I'ight whales at certain seasons of the 
year to feed upon shrimp ^ blood-red animalcuise that 



96 APPROACH TO CAPE HORN. 

sometimes spread for acres upon the surface of the 
sea. 

Towards night, the wind hauled around to the south 
south west, and came in strong puffs, increasing into 
a gale before morning. The pitching and roUing of 
the ship, made my sleep very irregular, and as I held 
myself in my berth, the progress of the gale could 
be easily traced not only by the roar of the wind 
growing louder and louder, but also by the orders 
for taking in sail after sail. I was not fully aware of 
the violence of the gale however, until the command 
from the officer of the watch, "Take in the foresail," 
indicated that the wind was rising into a heavy blow, 
that began to savor of Cape Horn. 

Between sleeping and waking however, the night 
passed away, and at an early hour I went upon deck. 
The sea was lashed into foam, and breaking in broad 
white crests, from which the spray was blown like sleet 
in winter on shore. There was a heavy swell also which 
occasionally threw the ship over on her side so far, that 
the sea came pouring in over the lee rail and dashing 
across the deck, when she righted again. The boats had 
all been raised up so as to touch the davits from which 
they are suspended, and then " turned down," with the 
keel outwards, which protects them from the sea in a 
storm. The watch upon deck were all collected together 
aft, as all the forward part of the ship was repeatedly 
flooded with the seas that broke over her. We were 
" lying to" under the mizzen staysail, close reefed main- 
topsail and foretopmast sta^^sail. About ten o'clock, 
wore ship around on the other tack with her head 
pointing towards the continent. The gale was at its 
height about noon, when it blew much harder than it 
has done since we left the United States. Towards 



PREPARATIONS FOR THE CAPE. 97 

evening-, it moderated down, and to-day (Monday,) there 
has been a perfect cahn, with not wind enough to steady 
the ship, and she has floated like a log upon the water, 
tossed about by the swell that still continues high. 

The temperature of the atmosphere yesterday, was 
cold, and judging from my feelings, 1 presume the ther- 
mometer would have stood in the neighborhood of thirty 
two degrees, or the freezing point. The wind was very 
piercing, the more so from our sudden transition from a 
warm atmosphere. To day, however, the air has been 
mild, and this evening as the sun was setting behind the 
heaving ocean, in golden splendor, a light breeze sprang 
up from the north-east and wafted us on our course. 

For several days past, many birds of various kinds, 
have followed in the wake of the ship, and during the 
gale of yesterday, a large flock hovered around us. They 
are about the size of wild ducks, and skim beautifully 
over the bursting wave, or rise swiftly upon the rushing 
storm. Often they alight and ride over the billows as if 
the ocean were their native realm. To-day, a couple of 
Albatrosses, a large bird, peculiar to the south seas, took 
a circuit around us, then sailed slowly away, until we 
lost sight of them in the distance. 

A large school of porpoises passed us this afternoon , 
numbering forty or fifty, I should think. They ran 
under the ship, then darted ofl*, frequently springing out 
of the water to the distance of fifteen or twenty feet, and 
exhibiting a dozen or more in the air at a time. 

Tuesday^ Jan. 7. I^atitude at noon 40° 08'. It has 
been blowing hard from the north all day, with some 
indications of another gale, and we are now making 
active preparations for the weather we expect to contend 
with ofl' Cape Horn. This morning the royal masts were 
sent down, the anchors brought in upon deck and 



98 APPROACH TO CAPE HORN. 

secured, and the spars and rigging were fully examined, 
and if defective, repaired. The waist and bow boats 
were also taken aboard and turned keel upwards upon 
the tryworks. 

There are many ships, particularly merchantmen, 
that do not send down their lofty spars to insure them 
against the risk of being carried away off Cape Horn. 
But to the sperm whaler, who is to be absent for several 
years from home, and whose wanderings often lead him 
out of the reach of assistance, these precautionary mea- 
sures are the part of wisdom. 

Wednesday/, Jan. 8. Latitude at noon, 43° 39', 
exhibiting a difference of latitude of 3° 31' during the 
last twenty-four hours ; as our course has been oblique to 
a meridian, the distance sailed over since yesterday noon 
is somewhat greater than this. 

Large flocks of birds are following in our wake, and seve- 
ral schools of porpoises have been sporting in merry gam- 
bols around our bow; one ofthe latter was struck this morn- 
ing, but he made his escape, as the iron " drew" or tore 
out of the wound in his violent struggles. In such 
cases, it is said the wounded animal is immediately 
pursued and devoured by his voracious comrades. In 
allusion to this unnatural propensity of the porpoise, one 
of the officers in conversation with me, made use of a 
very striking simile ; " if a man's reputation is impaired," 
he observed, "the whole world turn upon him, like 
porpoises that instantly attack and devour a wounded 
mate." 

Monday, Jaii. 30. Cold and stormy weather. On 
Saturday morning last we were struck by a heavy 
squall from the south west which came upon us rather 
unexpectedly. All hands were called. " Let go the hal- 
liards — clew up the topgallant sails — run down the fly- 



SUFFERINGS FROM THE COLD. 99 

ing gib — brail up the spanker — maintack and sheet let 
go and clew up, haul out the reeftackles, — ^jump up there, 
jump up, put two reefs in the topsails, and furl every- 
thing snug." Such were the hurried orders that were 
issued ; in a few moments, however, the squall passed 
over and a calm succeeded for a few hours, when the 
wind hauled more to the southward, and continued to 
increase, until a heavy gale brought us to under short 
sail. I have never seen such a sea as there was yester- 
day. In every direction, "Like mountains the billows 
tremendously swell," and as they came rolling on 
in accumulated masses careering with their surg- 
ing crests, it was an exhibition of sublimity that 
could not fail of impressing the beholder with awe 
of the mighty power of the contending elements. 
The good ship trembled in every timber at the shock 
of the surofes that broke in foam from her weather 
side, and in one instance, dashed the spray high upon 
the main-topsail, a distance of fifty feet. Towards 
night, (last night,) wore ship, and headed in for 
the continent. In executing this maneuvre, the fore- 
topmast staysail sheet became unhooked, and in an 
instant the sail split in two with a loud report. 

The damp air of the sea is exceedingly penetrating, 
and one feels much colder with the thermometer indica- 
ting a given temperature, than he would on shore with 
the mercury ranging much lower upon the scale, the hu- 
midity impairing the non-conducting powers of his cloth- 
insf. Our latitude is about 49° south not far from one 
hundred miles to the northward of the Falkland Islands. 
The days are very long, and lengthening rapidly ; the 
sun now sets after eight o'clock^ P. M., and twilight 
lingers until long after ten o'clock, when after an inter- 
val of a couple of hours, the first indications of dawn are 



100 APPROACH TO CAPE HORN. 

perceptible in the east. It seems very strange to see the 
sun rising in the south-east, and, reaching but a low alti- 
tude in the north at noon, descend into the sea to the 
south-west of us. The moon, too, has the appearance 
of having lost her place in the sky, to wander in the 
northern regions. The long shadows she casts, and her 
dismal light, give to every thing a peculiarly gloomy as- 
pect. The Magellan clouds which we saw soon after 
crossing the equator, have rapidly risen towards the ze- 
nith in our progress southward, and they are now nearly 
over head. They are two luminous nebulae, situated 
not very far from the southern pole, about 15° apart. 
The larger of the two is apparently about five feet, and 
the smaller about three feet square. 

The nearer we approach Cape Horn, the more nume- 
rous are the sea birds that accompany the ship. Yester- 
day a speckled haglet or " Cape pigeon," as he is some- 
times called, continued near us for a long time, occasion- 
ally coming close up to the ship as she " lay to," and 
alighting upon the waves, or skimming along over the 
boisterous sea with his little web feet. 

This morning, I had the good fortune to capture two 
albatrosses daring the calm that succeeded yesterday's 
gale. A long cod line with a corresponding fish hook 
is procured, and a float attached to it about two feet from 
the end to prevent its sinking. To the hook is secured 
a piece of salt pork about the size of one's fist, which is 
well " slushed " or greased, to make it the more attractive, 
and then dropped astern. If the ship is moving too fast, 
the albatross feels a little suspicious of the appearance 
of things, and will not alight ; but if the bait just trails 
along upon the surface of the sea, after flying around it 
two or three times and looking at it carefully, with his 
large web feet spread out before him, he dashes down 



ALBATROSS. 101 

into the water and commences a furious attack upon the 
pork. A jerk is given upon the Hne, and the hook be- 
comes fixed in the extremity of his bill ; and then with a 
steady and careful pull he is hauled aboard ship. Con- 
siderable skill is requisite in order to succeed, for even 
after the hook fixes itself into the bill, it is easily detach- 
ed, unless a constant strain is kept upon the line. 

The albatross, or " gony," as he is called by whale- 
men, is an immense bird, and if I mistake not, is found 
no where else except in the southern regions.* He is 
apparently about twice as large as a common goose, but 
this is owing to the dense coat of feathers and down with 
which he is invested, which, if taken off, disclose a body 
by no means as large as one would suppose from his ex- 
ternal appearance. His head and neck are very strong, 
and he is armed with a sharp, formidable bill, which he 
uses with great power; sufiicient, I have no doubt, to 
cut off a man's finger at a single bite. His wings are 
very large, and owing to their great extent cannot be 
folded up at the side of the bird with much compactness. 
His tail is very short and concealed by his immense 
wings when they are closed. 

The largest specimen captured, measured ten and a 
half feet from tip to tip of his expanded wings. His 
legs are short, terminating in broad web feet, with 
which he moves gracefully about upon the waves. Like 
all the anser tribe, his walk is very awkward, and when 
aboard ship he is unable to rise from the deck. In ta- 
king flight from the surface of the sea, he runs clumsily 
along, spattering the water with his broad feet, exhibit- 
ing the most awkward efforts to rise. But when, with 

* Some accounts I have read of the albatross (Diomedia Exulans) assert 
that vast flocks of these birds are to be seen upon the coast of Kamschatka. 
(See Encyclopedia Perthensis.) 

9» 



102 APPROACH TO CAPE HORN. 

his wide pinions extended to the breeze he seems to sail 
along without any apparent exertion, or skims over the 
heaving billows, the motions of the albatross are pecu- 
liarly graceful. If kept on board ship for a short time, 
the albatross becomes sea-sick, and displays his state 
of feeling upon deck, a rather singular circumstance, 
as he rides the waves so beautifully in a gale of 
wind. 

Tuesday J Jan. 14. This morning we were all thrown 
into excitement by the welcome cry " There she 
blo-o-ws !" several times repeated from masthead. The 
alarm was occasioned by two right whales, being in 
sight, three miles or more distant. Though at this dis- 
tance, yet the species to which they belong was readily 
made out by several characteristics known to the expe- 
rienced whaler, which will be noticed upon some future 
occasion. 

Two of the boats were soon lowered, and the other 
two soon afterwards were launched from the try-works 
and sprang forward in the pursuit, while the ship was 
slowly drawing up towards the scene of action. At one 
time the whales came up within a short distance of one 
of the boats, which was " hove up " awaiting their re- 
appearance upon top of water. The boat immediately 
wheeled around, and running up between them, ranged 
along side the larger. The harpoon was raised, but 
with the quickness of thought, the whale whirled around 
and instantly disappeared. 

After continuing the chase for an hour or more to no 
purpose, the boat returned. At one time the whales ap- 
proached within a stone's throw of the ship ; they float- 
ed sluggishly upon the water, blowing the spl'ay several 
feet into the air, with a heavy respiration, while the 
waves of the sea dashed over them in foam. 



FIN BACK WHALES. 103 

f 

The failure in capturing these whales is a serious dis- 
appointment. For although right whale oil is only one 
third as valuable as sperm^ yet the capture of a right 
whale that would make one hundred barrels of oil, 
would furnish us with the means of supplying the ship 
abundantly with fruits and vegetables in exchange for 
itj at those places we expect to visit. What aggravates 
the disappointment is the calm and delightful weather 
we have had all day, which, though rather cool, is unu- 
sually serene for this latitude, and would be very favor- 
able for disposing of a "fare" of oil. 

The ship has dguu receiving her Cape Horn sails ; 
new sails have been substituted for those that are old 
and weak. A main staysail has also been made ready 
for the stormy weather we must soon expect. It is n 
triangular sail extending from the main top down to the 
lower part of the foremast, and is very useful to steady 
the ship in a gale of wind v/ith a heavy sea running; 
and in some degree supplies the place of the maintopsaii 
in case it should give way. 

Wednesday^ Jan. 15. At an early hour this morn- 
ing, I was roused from my slumbers by the bustle upon 
deck, and by the cries from aloft " There she blo-o-ws 
— there she blo-o-ws!" My toilet was soon completed, 
and I hurried upon deck, when to my chagrin and dis- 
appointment I learned that the alarm was occasioned by 
a large number of fin back whales making their appear- 
ance three or four miles off, which as I have before men- 
tioned are very rarely attacked by the whaler, partly 
from the great difficulty of the capture, and partly from 
the inferior quality and quantity of the oil obtained from 
them. This evening, a whale of this species was seen 
within a quarter of a mile of the ship, but was passed 
by without farther notice. 



104 APPROACH TO CAPE HORN. 

Our Cape Horn preparations are completed; every 
thing has been brought up from the hold, that we shall 
require during our passage around the Cape, and the 
hatches barred down and caulked. We are all clad in 
our warmest dresses, for without any fire on board 
except what the cook keeps up in the galley, one re- 
quires a plentiful supply of warm clothing. The over- 
coats worn by sailors, are known by rather whimsical 
names. There are two kinds, the baboon jacket^ a short 
coat without any skirts, and the monkey jacket^ differ- 
ing from the other in having a kind of ruffle around the 
lower edge answering to skirts. 

Friday^ Jan. 17. In conversing with one of the men 
to-day, he informed me that he had been upon the Flo- 
rida Coast, in a brig chartered by the United States 
Government, for the purpose of carrying military stores 
to the army. Among other things, he told me that the 
brig was sent with a strong force to search for the bodies 
of a detachment of men supposed to have been cut off by 
the Indians. The detachment consisted of seventeen 
men ; they were bivouacked it seems, upon the bank of 
a small river, and were attacked during the night by a 
large body of Indians who killed them all to a man. 
Instead of scalping their victims, as is customary with 
North American Indians, they dug out their eyes, and 
abandoned them thus horridly mutilated ! 

Saturday^ Jan. 18. Latitude at noon 51° 52^. Our 
progress for a day or two past has been very slow, 
owing to the prevalence of light baffling winds from the 
sou th- west, and south sou th- west. The air is very keen, and 
we have no fire on board to mitigate its severity. The 
only serious inconvenience I experience, is that my feet are 
constantly cold, a sensation I have seldom experienced, 
even in the coldest weather of a New England winter. 



SUFFERINGS FROM COLD. 105 

My fingers too are swollen with that annoying complaint 
the "chilblains," so common an occurrence at home, 
although usually confined to another part of the system. 
We should have had a stove set up in the cabin before 
this, were we not deterred by the fear of being overrun by 
the hlack legged gentry that have retreated to the lower 
hold during the cold weather. 



CHAPTER yill. 

CAPE HORN. 

Terra del Fuego — Patagonians — Straits of Magellan — Geo- 
graphical POSITION OF Gape Horn — Dangers and difficulties 
OF doubling the Cape — Capricious state of the elements — 
Huge Sperm Whale — The carrier albatross — Perils of 
WHALiKfG — Sailor's songs. 

Monday^ Jan, 20. Land ho ! This morning, as the 
mists began to clear away, the bleak cliffs and highlands 
of Terra del Fuego and Staten Land, lay before us, not 
more than ten or twelve miles distant. Staten Land is 
separated from the " land of fire," by the straits De La 
Maire, about fifteen miles in width, which are often 
passed through by ships outward bound around Cape 
Horn. Although it is here the season corresponding to 
midsummer, yet the heights are crowned with tracts of 
snow, contrasted beautifully with the gloomy aspect of 
the cliffs as seen through the waving mists. Upon our 
right extended the outline of Terra del Fuego, until it 
vanished in the dense fog that rested upon the waters, 
while beyond the coast rose a tall, conical mountain, 
whose steep sides converged in a narrow, isolated peak. 

Upon each side of the Straits of Magellan, live the far 
famed race of Patagonians, whose gigantic proportions, 
(if we are to believe the accounts of early navigators,) 
might rival the Goliahs of antiquity. The visits of recent 
voyagers, have stripped them of the marvelous, and they 
are now found to be no larger than other people. One 



PAT AGO N I AN S. 107 

of our boatsteerers was in a ship wliich passed through 
the straits several years since. I had a long conversa- 
tion with him about their appearance and manners, and 
he confirms the observations I have just made. What 
should have induced former voyagers to give such exag- 
gerated accounts of the Patagonians, I cannot imagine, 
unless it be to gratify the preference of human nature 
for the marvelous rather than for what bears the impress 
of truth. 

This is the first land we have seen since leaving 
Fayalj a period of nine weeks. The sight, I need hardly 
say, was very acceptable to me at least. Those whose 
horizon the vast ocean has bounded week after week, are 
apt to feel that these restless waters are their only home. 

There is a strong current setting into these straits, 
and there is also a tide about these islands ; but with 
a fair wind, (an occurrence however somewhat rare,) 
the passage may be made without any difficulty. 
Terra del Fuego is separated from the main land 
by the Straits of Magellan, through which ships occa- 
sionally make their way into the Pacific, although 
the attempt has been hitherto regarded as rather hazard- 
ous from the intricacy of the channel, as well as the 
inaccuracy of the surveys.* 

We have been endeavoring all day long to pass 
through the Straits De La Maire, but have been becalm- 
ed until sunset, when the attempt at night was thought 
inadvisable, and we are now doubling Cape St. John, the 
eastern extremity of Staten Land. 

Thursday^ Jan. 23. Light winds and a heavy head 



* The Uaited States Exploring Expedition, have made very careful surveys 
of the Straits of Magellan and the adjacent islands, which will probably 
facilitate the navigation throug-h them, and induce most ships to adopt this 
Toute, instead of the circuitous and hazardous passage around Cape Horn. 



108 CAPE HORN. 

swell, have kept Terra del Fuego and Staten Land in 
sight until this morning, when they slowly disappeared 
behind the mists that enveloped, them, and Cape Horn with 
its isolated Peak and neighboring islands, rose into view. 
We have been becalmed all day, a very different recep- 
tion from what we might expect from the boisterous 
character of the Cape. The clouds have a lowering 
aspect, however, and we may yet experience the fury of 
old Eolus in this his favorite region. We are unusually 
near the Cape, and have a fine view of it, which even 
those who have doubled it many times, cannot always 
boast of Capt. R., told me that he had never before 
seen Cape Horn, although he had passed around it six or 
eight times. 

Cape Horn is located upon Hermit Island, a small 
island two or three miles in length, rising up into a 
cone at the southernmost end, with a line of rocks 
extending behind it towards the north. Between this 
island and Terra del Fuego, several long and narrow 
islands are situated, upon which we observed large fields 
of snow, although at the distance of twenty miles. 

The passage around Cape Horn, into the Pacific, is 
generally very trying and hazardous, owing to the 
violent westerly gales and sudden squalls that pre- 
vail in those regions. Ships are sometimes detained 
here for two or three weeks and even longer, con- 
tending against the fury of the elements. To the 
howling storm and the raging sea, the iceberg, a 
common exhibition, adds new terrors, which the most 
careful vigilance cannot always elude. Many a ship 
has been crushed between these moving mountains, or 
been dashed to pieces upon fields of floating ice, and 
every soul perished in these forlorn regions. 

Hermit island is not the southernmost land upon the 



SINGULAR ROCK A SQ,UALL. 109 

South American coast : but the Diego Ramirez Islands, 
a cluster of islets, lie a little farther south, as will be 
seen by consulting the chart. Latitude of Cape Horn 
55° 58' south, longitude 67° 21'. Latitude of the Diego 
Ramirez Islands 56° 32' south, longitude 68° 36'. 

Friday^ Jan. 24. To-day with a light breeze, we 
drew up within six miles of the cape, so near that the 
breakers dashing against its rocky sides were distinctly 
visible. Within a few miles of the cape, in a bay set- 
ting into one of the adjacent islands, stands a very sin- 
gular rock, which appeared so similar to a steamboat 
at anchor, that the resemblance struck every one on 
board, and through the glass the likeness was rendered 
still more apparent. Upon each side of the rock, a pro- 
jection represented the paddle boxes, while a tall, nar- 
row rock standing out in bold relief, would pass very 
well for the smoke-pipe and upright machinery, thus 
completing the fantastic appearance of this little island. 
Hermit island, and also the neighboring islands, appear 
to belong to the same variety of rock. Through the 
glass, they seem like huge masses of trap rock, traversed 
by numerous reddish veins. 

This evening we had a sharp squall, which we antici- 
pated by taking in sail before it struck us. You see a 
light mist rising rapidly to windward of you, a signal to 
draw in your light sails, or in a k^w moments the blast 
will be down upon you, screaming wildly through the 
rigginof, while your light spars will be seen flying to lee- 
ward, or a topsail be blown with the sound of thunder 
from its bolt-rope. 

Saturday^ Jan. 25. Becalmed all day, and drifting 
to the eastward in the current setting around the Cape 
from the Pacific. The rain has been falling all day 

lO 



110 CAPE HORN. 

with scarcely any intermission, and the cold damp air 
which prevails above and below, renders our situation 
extremely cheerless. Such a constant succession of 
calms in high latitudes, is usually the precursor of a 
storm, and we may be many weeks in gaining the few 
miles of westing that must be made, before we begin to 
point the ship's head to the north. 

Sunday^ Jan. 6. Saw a large school of sperm whales 
early this morning, within a mile or two of the ship ; 
there was too much wind and sea, however, to admit of 
sending the boats to attack them. Soon afterwards a 
sail was seen on our weather bow, coming down before 
the wind with fore-topmast and main-top-gallant stud- 
ding sails set on both sides, a most enviable sight to us 
who were opposed by the wind that was bearing her 
gallantly on her course. 

Latitude at noon 57° 25' south, longitude 67° 35' west. 
The sky was clear this morning, but this afternoon the 
weather became thick and rainy, with some prospects of 
a gale. 

Monday^ Jan. 27. Calm weather with scarcely any 
wind, accompanied with a heavy swell and frequent 
showers of rain. Since yesterday, we have made sixty 
seven miles westing from noon till noon. 

Tuesday^ Jan. 28. Calm weather with showers of 
rain occasonally. Longitude 70° 37' west, indicating 
twelve miles westing from yesterday noon till to-day 
noon. 

Wednesday^ Jan. 29. Calm and beautiful day, with 
occasional " catpaws " or puffs of wind sweeping over 
the ocean in every direction. Average of the thermom- 
eter 60°. Observed the water teeming with innumera- 
ble sparkling flakes, from a size so minute as to be almost 
imperceptible to a size as large as a twenty five cent 



PASSAGE AROUND CAPE HORN. Ill 

piece. This is a very common phenomenon in a long 
succession of calm weather, but is more particularly ob- 
servable in tropical regions. 

A young albatross was captured this morning which 
made an excellent " sea pie," or fricassee for supper, re- 
sembling veal in taste, although one or two of the offi- 
cers refused to partake of the dish, inasmuch as this bird 
has no gizzard. The less fastidious fared much better, 
and made a good supper. 

Thursday^ Jan. 30. Mild and beautiful day, with a 
fine, fresh breeze from the north-east, which has impell- 
ed us from sixty to eighty miles on our course in a 
north-westerly direction. 

Saturday^ Feb. 1. For the last forty-eight hours, 
strong and favorable breezes, with occasional calms. 
The rain has been falling almost all day, and we have 
been pursued by a gale of wind from the eastward under 
double reefed topsails. We are now twenty or thirty 
miles to the northward of Cape Horn, with a favorable 
prospect of soon emerging into warmer latitudes. Our 
progress westward has been most remarkable, and there 
is not a man on board, who has ever seen so favorable a 
time in passing around Cape Horn into the Pacific. 

Monday^ Feb. 3. For the last forty-eight hours, have 
had strong breezes from the south-east and south and 
south-west, which yesterday afternoon blew up into a 
gale, before which we ran under all the sail we dared to 
carry, with a heavy sea rolling after us. 

The weatner has been more moderate to-day, although 
squally. Latitude at noon to-day 51° 50^, making about 
two hundred miles northing for the preceding twenty- 
four hours. Our course was in a northwesterly direc- 
tion, and the entire distance traversed during that time, 
exceeded two hundred ^mA fifty miles. 



112 CAPE HORN. 

We may now consider ourselves fairly around this 
much dreaded cape, and launched into the vast Pacific 
ocean, with its mighty expanse of waters extending 
thousands and thousands of miles to the westward of us, 
and set with numerous islands that rise like gems from 
its profound depths. 

It was regarded as an enterprise of great magnitude to 
double Cape Horn, in the times of Captain Cook and the 
adventurers that succeeded him. But the great number 
of ships, both whalemen and merchantmen, that annu- 
ally pass around in safety, have divested it of many of 
its terrors, and made it appear much less formidable 
than in days of yore. It is still, however, a fearful 
place. 

During our passage around Cape Horn, I have been 
constantly on the look-out for any unusual astronomical 
phenomenon, particularly with reference to the doubtful 
occurrence of an aurora australis. Nothing remarkable, 
however, has been seen, and no aurora has illumined 
the sky to the southward of us. The captain and oiR- 
cers concur in saying that they have never noticed any 
thing of the kind while in these regions. 

Wednesday^ Feb. 5. Latitude at noon 47° 51'. We 
were dashing along this afternoon with a fine breeze, 
when a large sperm whale was suddenly seen "close 
aboard of us," less than a quarter of a mile off. A do- 
zen men were instantly hold of the main-clew-garnets — 
the main course clewed up and the after sails laid aback, 
in a less time than I have been writing about it. Three 
boats were then lowered, but soon after seven o'clock, 
returned to the ship, as the gathering gloom of the eve- 
ning precluded all hope of success. 

This whale was of extraordinary size, and displayed 



PERILS OP WHALING. 113 

the large hump upon his back repeatedly, and several 
times threw his broad flukes high out of water. 

Friday y Feb. 7. Latitude at noon 45°. This morn- 
ing, I amused myself for a long time in catching alba- 
trosses, and was so successful as to capture three^ 
making seven in all, that we have taken. The 
whalers that double Cape Horn, frequently amuse 
themselves by catching a number of these birds, and 
then letting them go, with an inscription upon a piece 
of leather tied around their necks. The inscription is 
an exaggerated account of their success in whaling. 
For instance, if we were desirous of imitating this vera- 
cious practice, we might send off one or two of the alba- 
trosses we took to-day with the label " North America, 
New London, at sea. Feb. 7, 1840, four months out — 
350 bbls. Sp. Oil," whereas if the ship were to be search- 
ed, not more ihc\.n fifty bbls. of oil could be found, of any 
kind. 

Great numbers of these birds flock around a whale ship, 
when " cutting in " the whale, alighting upon the sea, and 
swimming around to pick up scraps of blubber that are 
floating loosely about. A favorite amusement of the crew 
at these times, is to tie a piece of blubber upon each end 
of a string, and then to throw it overboard. Each piece 
finds a voracious devourer, and then a ludicrous struggle 
ensues between them, which terminates in the weaker 
party being compelled to disgorge what he had swallowed. 

Saturday^ Feb. 8. Those whose home is upon " the 
trackless main," must of necessity, experience the many 
dangers of the capricious element upon which they are 
floating. But besides the ordinary dangers of the sea, 
the whaler is exposed to peculiar risks of life and limb 
in the various duties of his hazardous profession. The 
utmost caution is requisite in the attack upon a whale, to 

10* 



114 CAPE HORN. 

guard against danger, and every man must be on the 
alertj or success is not only hopeless, but disastrous con- 
sequences are very likely to ensue. The line some- 
times becomes entangled as it darts from the boat, and 
must be instantly severed, or the boat will be carried 
down, if the " chock pin " is too strong to break. When 
the boats are among a school of whales, they are often 
stove by these huge animals : as the boats cannot be 
seen when in a line with them, they are frequently 
shattered by the powerful head of the whale, before he is 
aware of their proximity. The whale in coming up to 
blow after being down for some time, shoots up head- 
first with great velocity, and instant destruction awaits 
that unlucky boat that happens to be immediately over 
him. (See frontispiece.) In coming alongside in the 
boats, there is no inconsiderable danger, if there is a 
heavy swell running at the time; when these frail 
structures are liable to be dashed to pieces against the 
ship's side, and their crews are often seriously injured 
by being caught between the boat and ship. In " cutting 
in" the whale too, lamentable casualties often occur. 
Large masses of blubber slide from side to side as the 
ship rolls heavily in the sea in rough weather. The 
heads of the sperm whales, which are always hoisted 
upon deck when practicable, sometimes get loose and 
cause great destruction before they are secured again. 
The numerous sharp instruments used in every depart- 
ment of whaling, are a source of considerable danger, 
and many persons annually, receive terrible wounds, 
either through their own carelessness or that of others. 
One of the officers told me that upon a certain occasion, 
while "cutting in" a whale, he was thrown from the 
staging, and fell upon the whale, while but a narrow 
strip of blubber prevented his sliding off upon the keen. 



sailor's songs. 115 

barbed head of a harpoon sticking into the side of the 
whale and pointing directly towards him. These are 
some of the dangers which the whaler encounters, and 
if there are any men worthy of commendation for their 
enterprise and intrepidity, he certainly deserves a promi- 
nent place among them. 

Monday, Feb. 10. Saw this noon, a large school of 
black fish, a cetaceous animal resembling the Sperm 
Whale somewhat in shape, and varying in length from 
five or six feet to twenty two or three feet. Three boats 
were sent in among them, but were unsuccessful in cap- 
turing any. Latitude at noon, 41° 39'. Temperature 
of the air by the thermometer 60°. 

Tuesday, Feb. 11. I have often been very much 
amused by the cries and songs of the men, when engaged 
in hauling away upon the rigging of the ship. The 
usual cry is " Ho ! Ho ! Hoi !" or " Ho ! Ho ! Heavo !" 
which is sung by some one of them, while the rest keep 
time. It has a rather dolorous cadence, and a wildness 
that sounds like a note of distress when rising above the 
roar of the gale at dead of night. 

But there are many songs in common use among 
seamen, of a very lively character, which though bereft 
of all sentiment and sense in many instances, are per- 
formed with very good effect when there is a long line 
of men hauling together. Mr. Freeman usually ofiiciates 
as chorister, and with numerous demisemiquavers, 
strikes up the song, while all the rest join in the chorus. 
Sometimes they all sing together as I have endeavored 
to represent, although it must appear very tame without 
the attendant circumstances. One of the songs is as 
follows : — 



116 



CAPE HORN. 





Ho ! Ho ! and up she ris - es. Ho ! Ho ! and up she ris - es 



S 



z^qt 



s 



^^■ 



^=p 



P4- 



Ho ! Ho ! and up she ris - es, Ear - ly in the mom - ing. 

And another song, accompanied with the chorus, 
which vies with the song of the troubadours in poetic 
sentiment. 

Cliorus 




zfiEr? 



J i^S gl 



4?-^-^ 



Nan - cy Fan - an - a, she mar - ried a bar - ber, Heave her a - way, and 



:«=f^iit 



f^nitatt^: 



W=^ 



^,ip-=£^ 



heave her a - wa 
CI 


loriis 


Hur- 
i 


rail 


I ! Hur - ral 


i! 


for 

1^ 


Nan - cy Fa- 


y 4f 














^ • 


A ii 














11 


fr\ in 








4111 




— 


.J 1 


^ a 1 • "^ '^ 


4 , e w <r 1 


•7 • ^ 

















na - na, Heave her a ■ way ! and Heave her a - way ! 

There are many other songs that might be very easily 
mentioned, which, however, Uke a good proportion of 
our parlor songs are rather insipid without the music. 
The songs of sailors, when sung with spirit and to the 
full extent of their fine sonorous voices, add new vigor 
to their exertions, as the heavy yards and sails are 
mounting upwards. 



CHAPTER IX. 

HUNTING AND FISHING SCENES. 

Ajibrose Island — Ibbiense flocks of birds — Great fishing — 
Capture of a fur seal — Sea birds — Capture of a black 
FISH — Boat carried down by a whale. 

Wednesday^ Feb. 19. Last evening the dim outline of 
Ambrose Island, was just discernible at sunset. During 
the night under easy sail, with a light wind, we drew 
up slowly towards the island, and were becalmed almost 
all the forenoon. 

After dinner, Capt. R., invited me to accompany him 
on a fishing and hunting excursion. Accordingly, with 
our guns and fishing tackle, we jumped into his boat 
and pulled for the island, then about six miles distant. 

Ambrose Island belongs to the St. Felix group, situa- 
ted in latitude 26° 20^ S., and is about 600 miles from 
the coast of Chili. It is a desolate rock with scarcely a 
sign of vegetation, rising abruptly with precipitous and 
craggy sides, to a height of five hundred feet or more, 
while the heaving billows of the ocean are continually 
roaring at its base. From the main body are detached 
several large rocks, forming fanciful arches, among 
which the surf was boiling and dashing the spray high 
up into the air. The incessant action of the sea, had 
worn deep cavities into the solid rocks and labarynthine 
passages, from which the mists spray puffed out in many 
beautiful jets d'eau. These solitary islands of the ocean 



118 HUNTING AND FISHING SCENES. 

are favorite places of resort to innumerable sea birds 
that rear their young upon the recesses of the projecting 
cliffs, and derive their food from the sea.. 

Great numbers of birds about the size of our pigeons 
came off to meet us, and hovered over us so near to the 
boat, that I knocked several of them down with a short 
stick I had in my hand. The most numerous variety 
was the " Booby," as he is called by the sailors, a bird 
about the size of a goose. We shot several of them ; 
there are two varieties, the white and the grey Boobi/, 
differing in color only. The grey Booby has an elonga- 
ted body, grey back, white breast, strong and sharp bill 
of a greenish yellow color. He measures from tip to 
tip of his expanded wings about five and a half feet, 
and from the extremity of his bill to the end of his tail 
about two feet and a half. The Booby is a very sleepy 
bird, and frequently alights upon the yards and booms 
of a ship, when he becomes an easy captive. He is a 
very active fisher, however, darting from a great height 
with astonishing velocity into the water, and even diving 
for some distance beneath the surface to seize the fish 
upon which he preys. 

We coasted along the shore of the island, stopping fre- 
quently to catch fish, which were very abundant, and 
some kinds were tinged with beautiful hues. The birds 
also, were very active, diving down into the water a few 
yards from us, and coming up with a fish in their mouths 
about the size and hue of the gold fish we have in our 
glass globes at home. As we were moving along the 
shore, we came to a deep grotto overhung with frown- 
ing rocks. Upon entering it, our attention was arrested 
by a large animal lying asleep upon the rocks close by us, 
which Capt. R. instantly recognized as a. fur seal. The 
head of the boat was nm up to the rock, while the old 



BLACK FISH. 119 

seal and her cub began to exhibit signs of life by dis- 
playing their teeth and setting up a furious growl. 
With a blow upon the nose from the boat-hook, the dam 
was laid senseless upon the rock, while the cub took to 
the water and made off with himself, swimming farther 
into the grotto, but after considerable difficulty, we suc- 
ceeded in capturing him also. The old seal measured 
over five feet in length, and the cub about two feet and 
a half The fur of seals taken in these latitudes is 
shorter than that of colder climates. These skins, how- 
ever, would be valued at eight or nine dollars at home. 

We returned to the ship, shooting several birds on our 
passage, highly gratified with the varied amusements of 
the afternoon, and at supper feasted ourselves upon the 
fine fish we had taken, and the flesh of the young seal, 
which was tender and delicate like that of a pig. 

Friday^ Feb. 21. This afternoon the boats ran into 
a school of large black fish, and succeeded in " fasten- 
ing " to two of them. One of these made his escape, as 
the harpoon '• drew " from the wound in his violent ef- 
forts to get loose, although he must have died subse- 
quently. The other after "sounding" for some time 
rose upon the surface of the water, apparently dead, at a 
short distance from the boat, which immediately ranged 
along side to use the lance. At that moment he com- 
menced his "flurry," and knocking the oars from the 
starboard side, he thrust his unwieldy head across the 
gunner of the boat, filling her half full of water, to 
the terror of the men, some of whom jumped overboard. 
In his agony and furious convulsions, the boat bucket 
was stove, and the boat somewhat injured ; but before 
she had become full of water, he darted off" in another 
direction, while the men and oars were picked up by one 
of the other boats. The black fish soon " turned up," and 



120 HUNTING AND FISHING SCENES. 

was secured by a rope fastened around his flukes. Unfortu- 
nately, however, the bowline slipped, and to the mortifi- 
cation of the boatsteerer, the animal was lost, as his spe- 
cific gravity is greater than that of the water. Several 
days since we lost a large black fish by the " drawing of 
the iron," the line passing too closely around the logger- 
head of the boat, while the animal was in his " flurry." 
Many whales are lost in this way, after being struck, and 
there are some kinds of whales that almost always sink 
after they are killed ; for instance, the hump hack whale, 
and not unfrequently, the right whale. These whales 
are almost always found in comparatively shoal water, 
particularly the former variety. They generally remain 
beneath the surface for three days after they are killed, 
when they become buoyant enough to rise and are 
claimed by the ship that remains in the neighbor- 
hood, anxiously awaiting their re-appearance. The 
sperm whale, when captured, very rarely sinks, but 
when he does, he is never recovered. 

Several very melancholy instances have been told me 
of the loss of boats with all their crews, by being taken 
down suddenly with the whale, along side of which it 
was lying during the night. The men perished misera- 
bly by drowning, or being devoured by the voracious 
sharks that gather in great numbers around the carcase 
of a dead whale. 



CHAPTER X. 

THE WHALE FISHERY. 

Early history of the whale fishery — Original method of at- 
tacking WHALES — Modern improvements in whaling — Imple- 
ments — Enterprise of our ancestors in this line — Intrepidity 
of whalers — Discoveries in distant regions — Benefits confer- 
red BY THEM on THE POLYNESIAN COLONIES AND MISSIONARY ESTAB- 
LISHMENTS — Character of whalers, officers and crew. 

In the rise and progress of the whale fishery, a branch 
of commercial pursuit now swollen to such a magnitude, 
we can remember with pride the activity and enterprise 
of our ancestors, who at a very early period of our his- 
tory were the first to traverse the mighty waters of the 
North and South Atlantic, and grapple with and subdue 
''the monster of the main" in his own realm. There 
may have been many daring enterprises of this kind at- 
tempted antecedently to this period ; but it was not until the 
American colonies, during the early part of the last cen- 
tury, in a spirit of adventure and of commercial enter- 
prise, began to fit out their little vessels and sally forth to 
gfather spoils from the ocean, that we find any authentic ac- 
counts of the prosecution of the whale fishery as a reg- 
ular department of commercial industry. "But even 
before these adventurers commenced their career of sper- 
maceti hunting, we have it proved to us that the Indians 
who inhabited the shores of America, used to voyage 
out to sea and attack this animal from their canoes and 
pierce him with their lances of wood or other instru- 

11 



122 WHALE FISHERY. 

ments of the same material, which were barbed, and 
which before they were plunged into his flesh, were 
fastened by a short warp, or piece of rope to a large 
block of light wood. This was thrown overboard the 
moment the barbed instrument was thrust into his body, 
which being repeated at every rising of the whale, or 
when they were so fortunate as to get near enough to do 
so — in a few instances by a sort of worrying to death 
system, rewarded the enterprising savage with the lifeless 
body of his victim, but which in most cases was that of 
a very young one ; and even this, when towed to the 
shore, it was impossible for them to turn over, so that 
they were obliged to content themselves with flinching 
the fat from one side of the body only. Few indeed 
must these instances have been, when we consider the 
means that were employed in the capture of so immense 
an animal possessing such enormous strength by which 
their barbed spears or lances of wood, must have been 
frequently shivered to atoms or drawn from the flesh of 
the whale by the resistance the blocks of wood to which 
they were attached must have occasioned, when the 
animal became frightened into its utmost speed, and 
when we know at the present time that by their power- 
ful actions and convulsive movements, the best tempered 
iron of which our harpoons and lances are made, fre- 
quently becomes twisted to pieces, while the boats which 
are used in the chase are often thrown high into the air, 
with the head, or broken into fragments, by one blow of 
the tail of this enormous creature." (Beale, p. 138.) 

The mode of attacking the Sperm Whale, now uni- 
versally practised, by a harpoon attached to a long line, 
was a great improvement upon the cautious movements 
of former whalers. Previous to this period, the attack 
was made with harpoons attached to large blocks of 



• MODERN IMPROVEMENTS. 123 

wood in imitation of the aborigines; but the hardy- 
whaler with a contempt of danger which has always 
characterized him, adopted the more hazardous but 
surer method of capturing the leviathan of the deep, and 
with the smoking line darting out, flies like a phantom 
over the billows, followed in his impetuous course 
by a long line of foam. 

The invention of the gun harpoon^ was thought to 
be a very great improvement upon the simple harpoons 
in use, as the weapon is propelled somewhat farther and 
consequently with more force, when thrown from a gun, 
than in the ordinary way. But the great difficulties and 
dangers attending it while the boat is plunging and 
tossing about, together with the few advantages it pos- 
sesses over the other, have effectually prevented its 
coming into general use. It is almost entirely confined 
to French whalemen, whose national penchant for the 
application of science to the arts, would naturally give 
them a preference for any mechanical contrivance. 

The following is an extract from an admirable article 
in the North American Review of Jan., 1834, entitled 
" The Whale Fishery." 

"Second only in maritime importance among nations, 
our country has already outstripped all others in the 
whale fishery. Our efforts first commenced in open 
boats on the shores of Cape Cod and Nantucket, at an 
early period of our history. As soon as a whale appear- 
ed to the keen eyes of our fisherman, a boat was pushed 
off in pursuit. This precarious business is not even now 
forgotten, and the huge carcass of the leviathan is not 
an unfrequent reward of the watchful inhabitants of the 
Cape Cod towns. The boat was soon enlarged to the 
sloop, whose cruise stretched gradually as far as the 
Straits of Belle Isle and Labrador, and along our south- 



124 WHALE FISHERY. 

ern coasts to the West India seas. In time, the sloop 
was metamorphosed into a brig or a ship, and the shores 
of Africa were next freqiiented. The adventurers 
crossed the equator to attack the monster on the rugged 
coasts of Brazil and Patagonia. Soon the arduous 
doubling of Cape Horn opened to our researches the vast 
expanse of the Pacific. Our ships may now be seen 
lingering for supplies in all the western ports of South 
America, and one hundred of them annually recruit at 
the Sandwich Islands. They have scoured every part 
of the Pacific ; and the coasts of Japan are now the 
scene of their most successful labors. Thence they 
often return home around the Cape of Good Hope, thus 
circumnavigating the globe in a three years voyage. 

It appears from the early history of the colonies that 
our bays were once plenteously stocked with whales. 
For near a century, the business was carried on from 
the Cape Cod Islands, particularly Provincetown, Truro, 
and Wellfleet, in open boats. They subsequently 
pursued the business in larger craft, and in some 
instances their vessels were despatched to Labrador for 
the double purpose of cod and whale fishing. Nan- 
tucket was settled in 1759. The inhabitants were 
instructed in the whale fishing by the Cape Cod people. 
The whales were brought in by boats, and the oil was 
extracted on the shore. In 1730, they employed as 
many as twenty five sloops, and about this period they 
began to erect works on deck, and put up the oil orj 
shipboard. The fleet gradually increased. In 1756, 
eighty sloops sailed from the island, and on the breaking 
out of the Revolutionary war, one hundred and forty 
sloops, schooners and brigs were engaged upon the 
coasts of Guinea, Brazil and the West Indies, annually. 
Thirty thousand barrels of oil were the rich result of 



ENTERPRISE OF OUR ANCESTORS. 125 

their vigorous exertions. About the year 1766, the 
inhabitants of Dartmouth, now New-Bedford, began the 
business on the shore of the Acushnet river, gradually 
launched their vessels in the pursuit, and at the com- 
mencement of the war employed forty or fifty sail. From 
this place was fitted out the first whaling expedition to 
the Falkland Islands in 1774, consisting of two vessels. 
Thus the New England whale fishery previously to the 
Revolution, already employed nearly two hundred 
vessels. The extent of this business, and the indefati- 
gable manner of its prosecution, is best illustrated by the 
felicitous lanofuao^e of Burke. 

'Look at the manner in which the people of New- 
England have of late carried on the Whale Fishery. 
Whilst we follow them among the tumbling mountains 
of ice, and behold them penetrating into the deepest 
frozen recesses of Hudson's Bay, and Davis's Straits, 
whilst we are looking for them beneath the arctic circle, 
we hear that they have pierced into the opposite region 
of polar cold, that they are at the antipodes, and engaged 
under the frozen serpent of the south. Falkland Islands 
which seemed too remote and romantic an object for the 
grasp of national ambition, is but a stage and resting 
place in the progress of their victorious industry. Nor 
is the equinoctial heat more discouraging to them than 
the accumulated winter of both the poles. We know 
that while some of them draw the line and strike the 
harpoon on the coast of Africa, others run the longitude, 
and pursue their gigantic game along the coast of Brazil. 
No sea but what is vexed by their fisheries, no climate 
that is not witness to their toils. Neither the perseve- 
rance of Holland, nor the activity of France, nor the 
dexterous and firm sagacity of English enterprize, ever 
carried this perilous mode of hardy industry to the 

11* 



126 WHALE FISHERY. 

extent to which it has been pushed by this recent 
people — a people who are still, as it were, but in the 
o^ristle, and not yet hardened into the bone of manhood.' " 

But if such encomiums could be pronounced upon the 
enterprise and hardihood of our forefathers nearly two 
thirds of a century ago, what panegyrics should be be- 
stowed upon their descendants, who inheriting all the 
fearless intrepidity of their sires, and emulous of their 
daring, have traversed the most remote and dangerous 
seas with that eager love of adventure which has left no 
region of the mighty ocean unvisited. The doubling of 
Cape Horn, whose reputed terrors were once deemed in- 
surmountable, is now looked upon as a small affair by 
the hundreds of whalers that annually make the pas- 
sage. It is but commencing the voyage which lays open ' 
the vast Pacific, extending more than 7iine thousand 
miles from east to west, and in latitude from pole to 
pole. Here for month after month, the whaler pursues 
his " gigantic game," scrutinizing every sea where a pros- 
pect of success invites, undaunted by the furious storms 
that often assail him with the accumulated surges of this 
ocean, where they roll unopposed, and gather strength 
over so great an extent— or by the numerous low islands, 
reefs and rocks, not laid down on the charts, occurring 
so frequently in one region as to give it the name of " the 
dangerous Archipelago !" — or by the treacherous savages 
with whom he is often compelled to negotiate for sup- 
plies, at whose hand he not unfrequently meets a cruel 
fate, when wrecked, or when artfully decoyed within 
their power. 

While our discovery ships, once or twice during a cen- 
tury, are sent out to explore these unknown regions, the 
numerous whale ships that are scouring every ocean 
and clime, fall in with many islands, reefs and shoals, 



BENEFIT OF WHALEMEN. 127 

unknown to the navigator, and carefully ascertaining 
their position by observation, give inteUigence of them, 
thus furthering the safety of the voyager in those remote 
and dangerous seas. Many of the beautiful islands that 
gem the Pacific, lovely in every variety of natural scen- 
ery, climate and production, were first discovered by 
whale ships, " and on the latest maps and charts, we find 
more than thirty of these islands and reefs bearing the 
names of Nantucket captains and merchants." The vis- 
its of our whalers to the western ports of South Ameri- 
ca for supplies, have greatly facilitated our commerce by 
removing the jealousy of the Spanish republics of South 
America, and filling them with respect for a country 
which can send year after year such an array of ship- 
ping into their ports. 

Many of the fertile islands of the Pacific would now 
be untenanted, except by the indolent savage, and the 
enterprising colonies established upon them must long 
since have become extinct, were it not for the frequent 
visits of whalemen in their erratic movements, that have 
often rescued them from the last extremes of distress, 
when utter extermination was staring them in the face. 
And not only have facilities for communicating with 
their native land been thus extended to the colonists, but 
their persons and property have often been protected 
from the ruthless and capricious dispositions of the na- 
tives by the timely arrival of a whaler with his brave 
crew inured to danger in its most formidable aspects. 

The knowledge of the Polynesian islands dissemina- 
ted by the whaler, has led to the establishment of the 
missionaries of the cross among those rude islanders. 
It is true that many masters of vessels with their crews 
have conducted most shamefully in their intercourse 
with the natives, and have placed every obstacle in their 



128 WHALE FISHERY. 

power in the way of the missionaries ; yet there are ma- 
ny instances of these devoted men having received great 
assistance and encouragement in their labors, seconded 
by the good wishes and efforts of pious masters of whale 
ships. And the faciUty of communication thus afforded 
with their dear friends at home, which I have before ad- 
verted to, softens their fate, separated forever, perhaps, 
from home and their native land, a privilege which no 
one can fully appreciate, unless he has long resided in a 
region remote from all he holds dear. 

With the name of fisherman we are apt to associate 
ideas of rudeness and ignorance ; but as a general fact, 
the crews of our whalemen are fully as intelligent as 
the average of seamen. To leave home and country— 
to be absent for several years with the expectation of fa- 
cing danger in every aspect, some of which are pecu- 
liarly formidable, evince some resolution. Besides, 
most of the crew of whalemen are young men, with 
whom the stirring scenes and dangers of the whaling 
business have a romantic charm, which comports well 
with their adventurous spirits. Their officers are many 
of them scientific navigators, and the trust of property 
to an amount sometimes exceeding one hundred thou- 
sand dollars, placed at their discretion, proves them to 
be men of responsibility and character. To keep in 
subjection such numerous crews, often composed too, of 
representatives from all nations, requires no moderate 
ability and firmness. Mutinies very rarely occur, al- 
though, I presume the discipline is not so high as in the 
average of merchantmen ; a fact, which, considering the 
long voyages into remote seas, where law has sunk behind 
the wave, indicates that a respect for constituted authority 
does not spring so much from fear, as that it* orignates 
in a firm conviction of its indispensable necessity. 



WHALING PORTS. 129 

As a situation for acquiring a knowledge of sea-faring 
life, the whaling business bears an important relation to 
the maritime affairs of our country. It would seem 
strange indeed, if a good knowledge of duty aboard ship 
were not gained during a three years' voyage. Coolness 
and intrepidity in danger, those indispensable qualifica- 
tions in the character of a seaman, are taught by expo- 
sure to every variety of peril. " If the longest voyages 
that are made over the ocean — if the navigation of every 
sea on the globe, serene or boisterous — if the strictest 
discipline and subordination of large crews constitute a 
nursery for seamen, we have one which it should be our 
pride and duty to protect." (North American Review.) 

We will now endeavor to give a slight sketch of the 
distinguishing characteristics of the sperm whale, which 
shew clearly that he belongs to a variety of cetacea en- 
tirely homogeneous. 

Those who are desirous of arriving at a more definite 
knowledge of the whale fishery in its various depart- 
ments, can do so by consulting the following statistics. 
For the table of the imports of sperm and right whale 
oil into the United States for the past year, I am indebt- 
ed to the kindness of Mr. Henry Havens, of New-Lon- 
don, who has been indefatigable in gathering accurate 
information of the cargo of every whale ship upon her 
arrival at the port of destination. It exhibits better than 
mere assertion can do, the immense importance of the 
whale fishery as a department of commercial industry. 

Statement of the American Whale Fishery^ exhibit- 
ing the number of vessels employed^ and the port 
from lohich they are fitted out. 



Nantucket .... 83 
New-Bedford ... 184 



Holmes' Hole .... 4 
Providence .... 3 



130 



WHALE FISHERY. 



Fair Haven . 
Sag Harbor 
New-London 
Warren 
Salem . . . 
Newport . 
Stonington . 
Westport . 
Edgartown . 
Hudson 
Falmouth 
Mattapoisett 
Fall River . 
Mystic . . 
Sippican . . 
Wilmington, Del. 
Poughkeepsie 
Bristol . . 
Greenport 



47 
31 
36 
19 
11 
10 
9 

10 
11 
6 
7 
8 
6 
7 
7 
4 
6 
8 
5 



Wareham . 
Dartmouth , 
Bridgeport . 
Lynn . . . 
Nevvburyport 
Plymouth . . 
Boston . . 
Dorchester 
Provincetown 
Cold Spring . 
New-Suffolk 
Jamesport . . 
Newark . . 
Wiscasset . , 
Portsmouth . 
Portland . 
Somerset 
Gloucester . 



Total, 



567. 



This large fleet embraces vessels of all classes ; the 
greater proportion, however, are ships or barques vary- 
ing from two hundred to five hundred tons' burden. For 
the equipment of so large a number of ships, which is 
done with a liberality not common in the merchant ser- 
vice, an immense amount of capital is requisite. " The 
outfits required for a whaling ship, constitute no incon- 
siderable item of the expense, amounting in a vessel 
which is fitted for a three years' voyage, to no less a 
sum than $18,000. The hull not unfrequently costs 
$20,000 more, while many are sailed whose total cost 
does not vary far from $60,000. The principal kind of 
provisions required for the crew upon their voyage, con- 
sists of beef and pork, bread, molasses, peas, beans, corn, 
potatoes, dried apples, coffee, tea, chocolate, butter, be- 
sides from three to four thousands [?] of casks, made 



STATISTICS OF WHALING. 



131 



from white oak, and a quantity of spare duck, cordage, 
and other articles which may be required in the course 
of the voyage." 

The quantity of oil imported into the United States 
from March 1840 to March 1841, is indicated by the 
following table giving the monthly amount in barrels. 







Right Whale. 


Sperm. 


March - - 


- 


21,119 


10,810 


Anril 




21,785 


18, 534 


iijJllL 


— - — _ 


TVTmr _ 




47,166 


22, 358 


iVlcly 


" ~ ~ ~ 


June 


. - _ 


20,274 


14,833 


Tnh?- 




29,620 


14,575 


J uiy 


- - — - 


August 


- - - - 


11,595 


9,535 


September 


. . _ - 


14,160 


12,225 


October 


- - - - 


12,923 


15,200 


November 


_ _ - 


2,000 


4,100 


December 


_ _ - 


2,600 


7 250 


January 


_ - - _ 


2,712 


1,895 


February 


- . - - 


12,043 


11,948 




Total 


1 197,997 


143,269 



In estimating the value of these imports we will 
consider right whale oil worth about thirty five cents 
per gallon, and sperm oil about ninety cents at the 
lowest ; 197, 997 bbls., are equal to 6,236,905 gallons 
the aggregate of right whale oil, the value of which is 
not far from $2,182,817. The aggregate importation 
of sperm oil, amounts to 143,269 bbls. or 4,512,973 
gallons, which at 90 cents per gallon, is worth about 
$4,061,675. 

Thus in the space of one year, there has been drawn 
from the depths of the sea, and imported into the United 
States, property to the amount of six millions, two 



132 WHALE FISHERY. 

hundred and forty-four thousand four hundred and 
ninety-tivo dollars. 

In this calculation, I have not introduced the imports 
of elephant and blackfish oil, not unimportant items. 
The sea elephant is found in inmiense numbers upon 
some of the lonely islands of the ocean, particularly in 
the Indian Oceau. One of our boatsteerers returned just 
before shipping aboard the North America, from a voy- 
age to the island of Desolation in latitude 50° south, 
longitude 70° east, and has given me many accounts of 
the dangers and toils he encountered at that lonely 
island, the name of which very appropriately indicates 
its character. In these expeditions, the ship is provided 
with a tender, a schooner of from seventy to ninety tons, 
which runs around into every bay and close in along the 
shore of the island, while her consort lies safely at 
anchor in some harbor. Whenever a large number of 
these elephants are seen drawn up in dense array upon 
the beach, a body of men are sent ashore armed with 
clubs, who commence laying about them on each 
side until all are killed that have not been so fortunate 
as to make their escape into the sea. The skins of the 
slaughtered animals are then taken off, and the carcass 
is abandoned after removing the blubber which imme- 
diately envelopes it. This is hoisted aboard the schooner, 
and the men after suffering from the cold and severe 
fatigues, and drenched with salt water, return to their con- 
sort, aboard which the blubber is received and tried out. 
This oil is rather more valuable than right whale oil, and 
the shortness of the voyage which rarely exceeds a year, 
renders the expedition a highly profitable adventure. 

The whalebone imported into the United States, 
familiar to every one from the varied purposes to which 
it is applied, is an important item in the calculation 



COMPENDIUM. 133 

which I have not yet considered. The quantity imported 
in proportion to the amount of right whale oil, indi- 
cated by the preceding table, cannot be far from 1,500, 
000 barrels, which at twenty cents per pound gives us 
as the result, $300,000. Adding this sura to the previous 
calculations, the value of imports of the whale fishery 
for one year is swollen to the amount of six inillions 
Jive hundred ayid forty four thousand four hundred and 
ninety -two dollars. 

J12 



CHAPTER XL 

VARIETIES OF THE WHALE. 

The Sperm Whale— Spermaceti— Ambergris— Right Whale- 
Size — Food — Fin-back Whale — Difficulty of capture 

Hump-back Whale — Conflicts of Whales with one another 
— Loss of the Whaler "Essex." 

We will now endeavor to give a slight sketch of the 
distinguishing characteristics of the sperm whale, which 
show clearly that he belongs to a variety of cetacea 
entirely homogeneous. There are five diiferent varieties 
of whales, commonly known to whalers, pre-eminent 
among which, is the cachalot or sperm whale, whose 
value upon a fair comparison, is about treble that of any 
other variety. 

The sperm whale, (physeter macercephalus,) is a 
deep sea whale, that is, he is rarely found in g-reen 
water, and in his migrations, he never wanders oif into 
the Frigid Zones, where innumerable herds of cetacea con- 
gregate. His favorite haunts lie within the tropics, or not 
far from their borders, where the "squid" (sepia octopus) 
upon which he feeds, seem to be most abundant, and 
grow to the largest size. The sperm whale, as I have 
before remarked, upon a former page, is armed with 
teeth in the lower jaw, slightly curved inwards for the 
holding of his prey. His spiracle, or " spout-hole," is in 
the upper angle of his head, and the air when ejected 
from the lungs, is blown forwards, condensing in a large 



SPERM WHALE. 135 

white jet, resembling a puff of steam, instead of the thin 
perpendicular jet thrown up by the other varieties of 
whales. The regularity and number of his spouts are 
distinguishing characteristics, and it is remarkable how 
exact in point of time, are the intervals elapsing between 
each spout. When he descends again to the depths of 
the ocean, the time that passes before his re-appearance, 
is carefully noted by the whaler, which enables him to 
calculate with accuracy his return to the surface, when- 
ever he disappears. The other varieties of whales, 
seldom or never remain beneath the surface of water 
as long as the sperm whale. The habit of '-breech- 
ing," or throwing himself out of water, and of "turning 
flukes," or vibrating his tail in the air as he descends, 
are other peculiarities found more frequent in this 
variety than in any other. From these characteristics, 
as well as from others that might be mentioned, the 
experienced whaler can readily distinguish the sperm 
whale, even when at the distance of many miles, which 
was astonishing to me when I could scarcely see 
anything at all. 

The sperm whale is a much more valuable prize to 
his captors, than any other variety. All the oil tried out 
from his blubber, contains a certain proportion of sperm- 
aceti, while the " head matter" is almost pure sperma- 
ceti. At the completion of the voyage, the oil is drawn 
from the casks, and after a process of boiling and cooling, 
it is put into vats, which detain the spermaceti mixed 
with oil, a yellowish viscous substance. This is put 
into strong canvass bags, and subjected to a screw press, 
and afterwards to the tremendous pressure of the hy- 
draulic engine, when the oily matter is expelled and 
leaves the spermaceti in hard concrete masses, which 
after boiling with potash and purifying, is moulded into 



136 VARIETIES OF THE V/HALE. 

those beautiful candles, which vie with our gas lights in 
brilliancy. 

The origin of ambergris, once pronounced to be the 
" occultum naturae," which for many years puzzled the 
speculations of philosophers, was at length satisfactorily 
determined by some Nantucket whalers, " who in cutting 
up a spermaceti bull whale, found accidentally in him 
about twenty pounds weight, more or less, of that drug, 
after which, they and other such fishermen became very 
curious in searching all such whales they killed." Am- 
bergris is nothing more than the indurated foeces of the 
sperm whale, caused by disease in the organs of diges- 
tion in which the substance takes its origin, enlarging 
and hardening gradually, causing great distress to the 
poor animal, whose sickly appearance indicates that this 
valuable drug or perfume, is lodged in his intestines. 
" The use of ambergris in Europe," says Brande, " is now 
nearly confined to perfumery, though it was formerly 
used in medicine by many eminent physicians. In Asia, 
and part of Africa, ambergris is not only used as a 
medicine and perfume, but considerable use is also made 
of it in cooking, by adding it to several dishes as a spice. 
A great quantity of it also is constantly bought by the 
pilgrims who travel to Mecca, probably to offer it there 
and make use of it in fumigations in the same manner 
as frankincense is used in Catholic countries." 

Masses of ambergris are often thrown up by the 
diseased sperm whale in his convulsive agonies, when 
struck with the harpoon, and are found floating upon the 
surface of the ocean. One of the sailors told me that he 
once picked up a floating piece, which he sold for twenty 
dollars, after reaching home. It is of a yellowish brown 
color, with numerous dark spots in it, which are the bills 
or beaks of the squid upon which the animal feeds; 



RIGHT WHALE. 137 

when heated, a fragrant odor is exhaled, which, like the 
perfume of musk, is highly grateful to some persons, but 
exceedingly disagreeable to others. 

The right whale, (balaena mysticetus,) is found most 
abundantly in the Arctic seas, upon the banks of Brazil 
down as far as Cape Horn, and in that latitude all over 
the world, particularly in the neighborhood of islands. 
Though of such an enormous size as to yield in some 
instances of individuals found in the Northern seas, over 
tioo hundred barrels of oil, he feeds upon the most minute 
animalculas, some varieties of which are almost micros- 
copic. Adapted to this mode of procuring subsistence, 
he has a peculiar construction of the mouth, which is an 
immense cavity, containing a tongue yielding in many 
instances, over six barrels of oil. The whalebone, such 
as we see in the construction of umbrellas, and which 
the ladies make use of for various purposes better known 
to themselves than to me, is set in thick slabs upon the 
upper jaw, having long and slender fibrous fringes upon 
the edges, by means of which, when the jaws are closed, 
the water engulfed by the animal while feeding, is 
strained through, leaving the animalculas behind. All 
whalers are agreed that if Jonah was swallowed by any 
of the cetaceous family, the right whale^ par excel- 
lence, was selected for the honor of " receiving a Prophet." 
To satisfy the wants of this immense animal, what 
myriads upon myriads of animalculse must swarm in 
those artic regions ! Captain Scoresby made some attempt 
to estimate their numbers in a given space, but finding 
the calculations burdensome from the size of the arith- 
metical numbers, he indicates their inconceivable extent 
by observing that " eighty thousand men would be em- 
ployed during the period elapsed since the creation of 
the world in counting two square miles of them." The 

12* 



138 VARIETIES OF THE WHALE. 

right whales frequenting the coasts of Brazil, and the 
Southern oceans, feed upon " shrimp" animalculas of a blood 
red color, which sometimes make their appearance in such 
vast numbers as to give to the waters a crimson hue. 
The shape of the right whale, differs much from that 
of the cachalot. He is larger round in proportion, 
having no hump upon his back, but is provided with 
longer and wider side fins. His spiracle is situated 
some distance from the extremity of the snout upon 
the top of his head, and his spout issues in a thin forked 
stream to a greater height, and at less regular intervals, 
than is the case with the cachalot, 

Ships fitted out for a voyage after right whale oil, are 
regarded as inferior to sperm whalers ; they return home 
much sooner, however, full of oil, which is applied to 
various purposes of the arts, but is a poor substitute for 
sperm oil in our lamps. 

The Fin hack whale is found all over the ocean. 
As his name implies, he has a large thin fin upon his 
back ; he has also a long projecting snout, from the back 
part of which his spout issues in a broad white jet, like 
that of the sperm whale, a source often of considerable 
perplexity to the sperm whaler. As a distinguishing 
characteristic, however, he never "breaches"' or throws 
himself out of water, and by the attentive listener, when 
this whale blows, a sound is heard, like a heavy sigh 
succeeding it, called by whalers the "draw back." 
This variety yields but little oil. and this circumstance, 
together with the extreme hazard of attacking him, 
give him carte blanche to rove wherever he chooses. 
An instance of an attack upon a fin back whale has 
been narrated to me by an eye witness. The 
moment the iron was hurled into the whale, he 
darted off with the velocity of lightning, taking the line 



HUMP BACK WHALE. 139 

instantly out of the boat, which the men were afraid to 
turn round the loggerhead to oppose his impetuous 
course, and with the foaming waves parted on each side 
of his furious track, he disappeared beyond the horizon 
before two minutes had elapsed ! 

The Hump hack whale resembles the Fin Back 
variety, but in place of the fin upon his back, he has a 
hump like that of the cachalot. His spout issues in two 
perpendicular shafts like that of the right whale, and 
with considerable regularity, which circumstances 
together with his habit of " breaching " frequently, a la 
cachalot^ are sometimes perplexing to the sperm whaler. 
The hump back is not so often hunted as the other 
varieties, by the whaler. He has two long side fins 
which he throws around with great fury as he rolls over 
and over in his dying agonies. His favorite haunt 
appears to be in the green water upon the western coast 
of South America, where he feeds upon the animalculas 
that crowd those seas, for which in common with the 
fin back, he is provided with an apparatus like that of 
the right whale ; the slabs of baleen, (whale-bone,) 
in the two varieties mentioned are said however to be 
shorter than in the balaena mysticetus. " One evening 
while we were on the coast of Peru," (said a friend 
of mine as he was giving me the particulars of a voy- 
age he had once taken,) "we lay becalmed in a fog 
near sunset, when our little schooner was suddenly 
surrounded by a large school of hump back whales, 
that commenced '^ breaching" close along side of us, 
rising as it seemed directly under our little craft, and 
throwing their immense bodies out of the water, not 
reflecting that what was sport to them might be death to 
us. In a half an hour we lost sight of our unwelcome 
visitors, during which time we were in a state of terror 



140 VARIETIES OF THE WHALE. 

and alarm, lest they should dash us to pieces in their 
boisterous gambols." 

There are many other varieties of cetacea which are 
hunted for their oil, but a consideration of them would 
be tedious, if what I have already advanced has not 
proved to be so, and I pass by them in silence. 

To form any definite idea of objects we have not seen, 
whose dimensions are given, we must do so by compari- 
son with the size of objects familiar to us. It appears, as 
far as I have been able to gather from various sources, 
that the sperm' whale is unrivalled in magnitude in 
animated nature, and that the dimensions of the antedi- 
luvian monsters, ascertained with sufficient definiteness 
from their organic remains, are transcended by the vast- 
ness of their successors. The fin back sometimes 
attains to an enormous size, but is usually inferior to the 
other varieties in magnitude. The right whale holds 
the second place ; " of three hundred and twenty-two 
individuals of this species," (says Scoresby,) "the largest 
we ever measured, was fifty eight feet in length." Rio^ht 
whales are sometimes found of dimensions so vast as to 
yield over two hundred barrels of oil. Accounts have 
lately been received of their having made their appear- 
ance in the north Pacific, north of latitude 40°, in great 
numbers and of enormous dimensions, so that some 
sperm whalers have given up the pursuit of their pecu- 
liar game upon the « Japan cruising grounds," and have 
commenced hunting the right whale. A few captures 
of whales, each making two hundred barrels of oil, would 
soon fill up a ship carrying twenty six hundred barrels, 
the average capacity of whalers, and the successful 
voyager would be making his way home before the year 
has expired, instead of being doomed to cruise about all 



I CONFLICTS OF WHALES. 141 

j over the ocean for three or four years after a more valua- 

! ble, but less certain cargo. 

j But the sperm whale is the mightiest of the mon- 
sters of the deep. Beale, in his highly interesting 

, account of the Sperm Whale Fishery, mentions an 

i instance of the capture of a male cachalot that meas- 
ured about eighty-four feet in length. The dimen- 
sions of the largest elephants seldom exceed six- 
teen feet in length, fourteen feet in height, and eight 
feet in diameter; what an enormous bulk must this 
whale have, to be more than jive times as large as 
the Elephant, the " ingens bellua," with whose unexpec- 
ted presence and vastness, Pyrrhus endeavored to terrify 
the intrepid Fabricius ! * 

Though ordinarily of a peaceful and sluggish dispo- 
sition, yet the sperm whale may be roused to fury, and 
the conflicts of two large bulls is described as terrific in 
the extreme. They rush together with a tremendous 
shock, lashing the sea into foam in the fury of the onset, 
and grasp each his adversary in his formidable jaws, 
while" with their bodies thrown high out of water and 
writhing with convulsive efforts, ajid their broad flukes 
vibrating with rage, they present a sublime spectacle to 
the beholder. The marks of their teeth upon the head 
of their opponent are indelible, and have the appearance 
of ulcerous sores. 

The loss of the whaler Essex, of Nantucket, is 
one of the most remarkable in the history of the 
Sperm Whale Fishery. A narrative of that event 
by Owen Chase, mate of the ship gives a vivid des- 
cription of that terrific catastrophe. "I observed," 
(says he,) "a very large spermaceti whale, as well 

'•Itisasin-ul^^Hk^at the male Cachalot greatly exceeds the female 
in magaitude, while ill the right whale variety the case is reversed. 



142 VARIETIES OF THE WHALE. 

as I could judge, about eighty-five feet in length. He 
broke water about twenty rods off our weather bow, and 
was lying quietly with his head in a direction for the ship. 
He spouted two or three times and then disappeared. 
In less than three seconds, he came up again, about 
the length of the ship oft", and made directly for us, at 
the rate of about three knots. The ship was then going 
with about the same velocity. His appearance and atti- 
tude gave us at first no alarm ; but while 1 stood watch- 
ing his movements, and observing him but a ship's 
length off, coming down for us with great celerity, I in- 
voluntarily ordered the boy at the helm to put it hard 
up, intending to sheer off and avoid him. The words 
were scarcely out of my mouth before he came down 
upon us at full speed, and struck the ship with his head 
just forward of the forechains. He gave us such an ap- 
palling and tremendous jar, as nearly threw us all on 
our faces. The ship brought up as suddenly and vio- 
lently as if she had struck a rock, and trembled for a 
few minutes like a leaf We looked at each other in 
perfect amazement, deprived almost of the power of 
speech. Many minuses elapsed before we were able to 
realize the dreadful accident, during which time he 
passed under the ship, grazing her keel as he went 
along, came up alongside her to leeward, and lay 
on the top of the water, apparently stunned with the 
violence of the blow, for the space of a minute. He 
then suddenly started off in a direction to leeward. Af- 
ter a few moments' reflection, and recovering in some 
measure from the consternation that had seized us, I of 
course concluded that he had stove a hole in the ship, 
and that it would be necessary to set the pumps a-going. 
Accordingly, they were rigged, but had not been in ope- 



LOSS OF THE WHALER -'ESSEX." 143 

ration more than one minute, before I perceived the 
head of the ship to be gradually settling down in the 
water. I then ordered the signal to be set for the other 
boats— at that time in pursuit of whales — which I had 
scarcely despatched, before I again discovered the whale 
apparently in convulsions, on the top of the water, 
about one hundred rods to leeward. He was enveloped 
in the foam, that his continued and violent threshing 
about in the water had created around him, and I could 
distinctly see him smite his jaws together as if distracted 
with rage and fury. He remained a short time in this 
situation, and then started off with great velocity across 
the bows of the ship to windward. By this time the 
ship had settled down a considerable distance in the wa- 
ter, and I gave her up as lost. I, however, ordered the 
pumps to be kept constantly going, and endeavored to 
collect my thoughts for the occasion. I turned to the 
I boats, two of which we then had with the ship, with an 
intention of clearing them away and getting all things 
I ready to embark in them, if there should be no other re- 
: source left. While my attention was thus engaged for 
I a moment, I was roused by the cry of the man at the 
hatchway, 'Here he is— he is making for us again !' I 
; turned round and saw the whale about one hundred rods 
' directly ahead of us, coming down with apparently 
, twice his ordinary speed, and to me it appeared with 
ten-fold fury and vengeance in his aspect. The surf 
I flew in all directions, and his course towards us was 
marked by a white foam of a rod in width, which he 
made with a continual violent threshing of his tail. 
His head was about half out of water, and in that way 
he came upon, and again struck the ship. I was in 
hopes, when I descried him making for us, that by put- 
ting the ship away immediately, I should be able to 



144 VARIETIES OF THE WHALE. 

cross the line of his approach before he could get up to 
us, and thus avoid, what I knew, if he should strike us 
again, would be our inevitable destruction. I called out 
to the helmsman ' hard up,' but she had not fallen off 
more than a point before we took the second shock. I 
should judge the speed of the ship at this time, to have 
been about three knots, and that of the whale about six. 
He struck her to windward, directly under the cat-head, 
and completely stove in her bows. He passed under 
the ship again, went off to leeward, and we saw no 
more of him." 

This dreadful disaster occurred near the equator, at 
the distance of a thousand miles from land. With the 
scanty provisions and equipments they could save from 
the foundering wreck, twenty men embarked in three 
slender whaleboats upon the mighty ocean to buffet its 
surging billows, with the desperate chance of being 
picked up by some cruiser before reaching land, which 
lay at such a distance, as almost to forbid a rational 
hope of success. One boat was never heard of after- 
wards, and was probably lost ; with a fate scarcely more 
enviable, the crews of the others, experiencing the ex- 
tremest misery that human nature can endure, were 
picked up at sea by different ships nearly two thousand 
miles from the scene of the disaster. So horrible was 
their situation, that they were forced to draw lots to de- 
cide which of their number should be killed to appease 
the corroding pangs of hunger. 

" There have been other instances of shipwreck, caus- 
ed by the shock of these leviathans. In 1807, the ship 
'Union,' of Nantucket, Captain Gardner, was totally lost* 
between Nantucket and the Azores, by a similar concus-| 
sion. But no other instance is known, in which the ' 
mischief is supposed to have been malignantly designed 



INSTANCES OF SHIPWRECK. 145 

by the assailant, and the most experienced whalers be- 
lieve that even in this case, the attack was not inten- 
tional. Mr. Chase, however, could not be persuaded to 
think so. He says that all he saw, produced on his 
mind the impression of decided and calculating mischief 
on the part of this maddened leviathan." (North Amer- 
ican Review.) 

13 



CHAPTER XII. 



Amusebients and mode of lite on shipboard — Fishing — Mechan- 
ical EMPLOYMENTS — BiLL OF FARE. 



Among the various amusements which make the time 
pass away pleasantly aboard ship, catching fish is one of 
the most agreeable. Vast schools of fish frequently accom- 
pany ships for several days in succession, and whalers 
are often surrounded for month after month by countless 
hosts of the finny tribe, as they float slowly along over 
the ocean within the tropics. A meal of fresh fish 
can be had at any time by trailing a fish hook overboard 
for a few minutes, and it is not uncommon for whalers to 
salt down several barrels of these fish for their own use, 
and to barter them away with the natives of the Pacific 
Islands. When a ship is seen to be surrounded by large 
schools of fish, it is a trick sometimes practised by a 
brother whaler to run down close to her, under pretence 
of speaking her, when a part, if not the whole of the 
school abandon their old friend and move off" with the 
stranger, a piece of coquetry very similar to what 
obtains sometimes in a higher order of animated nature. 

There are several varieties of fish that accompany 
ships, the most common of which, are the alhacore and 
honetta. or "skip jack," as he is called by the sailors. 
Their favorite position is a few yards in advance of the 



FISHING. 147 

ship, and as she moves steadily forward, parting the foam 
upon each side of the cutwater, they glide along grace- 
fully from side to side of her track, now leaping in merry 
gambols high out of the sea, then darting forward they 
cut the water after the flying fish, with their eye fixed 
upon their trembling victim, that quivers in the air, 
doubling upon his pursuer, until he falls helpless into 
his greedy jaws, or is seized while on the wing. 
In catching these fish, advantage is taken of their vora- 
cious and merciless disposition towards the poor flyino* 
fish. A strong line is provided, having a white rag 
attached to a large hook upon one end of it, which is 
kept playing upon the surface of the water, under the 
bowsprit, to imitate the movements of their prey. If 
the fish are disposed to bite, they spring at the bait 
with the utmost eagerness and are instantly hooked. 
Albacore vary in size, from one foot to those that are 
nearly four feet long, weighing about one hundred 
pounds. They are a veiy powerful and active fish, 
and the largest size give ample employment to two 
or three men in securing them after their capture. 
The Albacore is a remarkably beautiful fish ; his pec- 
toral, ventral, and lateral fins, are tipped with a bright 
yellow, while all along from his hindmost fins towards 
his tail, is set, at regular intervals, a delicate fin like 
rufile also tinged with the same brilliant hue. 

The Bonetta, or " skip jack," is by no means as beau- 
tiful a fish as the albacore. He is usually about eight- 
een inches long, very similar to the albacore in the shape 
of his fins, but wanting those brilliant hues that charac- 
terize the latter. His size renders him better adapted for 
capturing with a hook and line than the albacore ; but 
owing to the tenderness of his jaw, and his violent con- 
vulsions when caught, the hook almost always tears out 



148 AMUSEMENTS ON SHIPBOARD. 

before he can be secured. If these fish are grasped with 
the hand while dying, their tremulous motion is so 
violent as to benumb the arm, as if it had been exposed 
to a succession of galvanic shocks. One of the officers 
to express this peculiar property of the bonetta, observed 
that " they sometimes shake so hard as to shake their 
own heads oif." 

To the invalid proposing to take a voyage, for the 
recovery of his health, a whale ship, under some circum- 
stances, oifers many inducements over any other mode 
of conveyance. The excitement of whaling operations ; 
the preparation of the boats and their armaments ; the 
eager enthusiasm displayed whenever any thing is seen 
by the lookouts, the dropping of books, writing, tailorings 
and the hurrying upon deck ; the breathless anxiety 
stimulated by hope; the rattling of blocks, runnino- 
rigging and spars as the ship is " hove to"— the lowering 
of the boats— the dash of the oars and the fearless attack, 
all combine in a variety of highly interesting scenes, 
such as cannot but be favorable to the health of the 
invalid. I still recollect with pleasure the first time we 
took whales, and the very favorable eflfect it had upon 
my health ; my bodily ills were forgotten in the engross- 
ing interest of the novel scenes then presented. There 
are some persons, I know, who cannot accommodate 
themselves to anything, unless it happens to coincide 
with their accustomed mode of life, and habits of 
thinking. It is something of a struggle, I own, to bid 
farewell to home and country, it may be forever, to 
voyage over the mighty deep for month after month, and 
to submit to the privations and inconveniences of a long 
voyage ; but the resolution that determines unshrinking- 
ly upon the enterprise, has nerved its possessor to a forti- 
tude that will enable him to surmount the petty obsta- 



MECHANICAL EMPLOYMENTS. 149 

cles he encounters, and fit him to enjoy the pure atmos- 
phere of the ocean, with the novel scenes it presents. 
Let me especially recommend to all who embark upon the 
ocean for the recovery of their health, to take a warm and 
active interest in every thing they see ; and particularly, 
to exclude ennui, that incubus upon the spirits of 
invalids, which are already wanting in their wonted 
elasticity. 

Aboard whale ships, there are a great variety of 
mechanical employments, constantly going on in good 
weather, which cannot fail of interesting one, particularly 
if he has any taste for mechanics. In this case, the car- 
penter's bench and chest of tools, and the turning lathe, 
give him a fine opportunity for exercise. There are 
found aboard a whaler, a great variety of small tools 
expressly intended for "schrimshawing^^ or nice me- 
chanical contrivances for fabricating various articles out 
of the teeth and jaw bone of the sperm whale. It is 
customary aboard whalers, whenever they happen to be 
in the neighborhood of islands or rocks, to send off 
a boat or two upon a hunting and fishing expedition, 
which is not often the case with merchantmen whose 
object is to press forward as rapidly as possible. 

There are several very fine large ships engaged in the 
whaling business, and as a general thing they are very 
fast sailers, an important qualification often in securing" 
success. The Sperm Whale Fishery claims the finest 
vessels, and many of them are commanded by very 
gentlemanly men. In the fitting out of a whale ship, a 
liberality on the part of the owners is observed, which is 
almost profuse in providing every thing that can be 
thought of for so long a voyage. A whale ship must be 
a little world within itself, as she is to be an isolated 

13* 



150 LIVING ON SHIPBOARD. 

wanderer upon the face of the deep for several years ; 
and she must have on board every convenience that can 
be thought of, from a paper of needles up to the sheet 
anchor. When a whale ship goes into port to recruit, 
supplies are purchased with no parsimonious hand, as 
we shall probably have occasion to witness. 

As far as safety is concerned, the preference most 
unquestionably belongs to whale ships. In the American 
merchant service a much less number of men are ship- 
ped to navigate a given tonnage than is the case in the 
whaling service. In a ship of four hundred tons for 
instance, sixteen or seventeen men " all told " would be 
considered her complement, giving to each watch seven 
men perhaps, whose duty is alternately to take care of 
the ship. A whaler of this tonnage, would carry over 
thirty men, giving to each watch double the force of the 
merchantmen. There are many occasions when it is 
extremely necessary to shorten sail with rapidity, or 
execute some maneuvre with great expedition — as for 
instance, when the ship is " taken aback " in a gale of 
wind or heavy squall, one of the most dangerous posi- 
tions she can be placed in. In such critical emergencies 
that demand instant action, there would be a sufficient 
amount of force in the watch aboard a whaler to brace 
around the yards, whereas the merchant ship is some- 
times torn to pieces or carried down stern first, while 
waiting for the watch below to come upon deck, from 
an inability of those upon deck to work the ship. 

The variety of climate which the whaler passes 
through in his wanderings, is extremely favorable to the 
recovery of one's health. From the cold and bracing air 
of the high latitudes, he makes his way to the lovely 
regions within the tropics, possessing a climate unrivalled 



BILLOFFARE. 151 

for mildness and serenity, and so equable, that a resident 
in our capricious atmosphere, can have no adequate idea 
of its loveliness. 

The regularity of life aboard ship, is indicated by the 

bill of fare ; and perhaps it may not be uninteresting to 

know what one must subsist upon during a long voyage 

like the one I am pursuing ; a consideration which may 

not have entered into the reader's mind, who has his 

' market and grocery store close at hand, where every 

j article of luxury, for the table is displayed to the purcha- 

11 ser. But here we are thousands of miles from our native 

land, provisioned for a three years'^ cruise or more, with 

I the exception of occasional recruits of vegetables and 

I fruits. Of course therefore, salt meats and hard bread, 

furnish by far the greater proportion of our food, and to 

: be kept upon this diet for month after month is not the 

I least privation of a seafaring life. 

'I Hence in whale ships, bound on long cruises, that 
' dreadful disease, the scurvy makes its appearance jnore 
l| frequently than in any other class of ships, owing to an 
exclusion from vegetables which form so large a propor- 
tion of the fare of landsmen, and not from any peculiarity 
in the mode of life pursued by the whaler, as has been 
insinuated by some travellers. To feel the full force of 
these privations, one must deny himself potatoes and 
every product of the kitchen garden, and confine himself 
i to salt beef and pork with hard bread or some preparation 
I of flour or meal. He must go without milk in his tea 
and coffee, for it will be recollected that " the cow never 
comes home" at sea. He must slake his thirst with 
water of so high a temperature as to answer very well 
as an emetic, and of so powerful an odor frequently, 
when just pumped into the skuttle butt, as to make him 
hold his breath for a long interval after drijiking it. Let 



152 LIVING ON SHIPBOARD. 

no invalid therefore, come to sea unless he possesses the 
happy faculty of accommodating himself to circum- 
stances ; and let no other inducement but that which 
sent me to sea draw him forth from home with its 
nameless comforts to encounter so many inevitable 
privations. 

Without further preamble, I will endeavor to give a 
slight sketch of our bill of fare. When we first came out, 
we had a quantity of potatoes — a sine qua non upon all 
occasions. At Fayal, we added a hundred bushels to our 
stock of these delightful esculents, which were served out 
to all hands, and lasted for more than two months. Our 
fare has varied, of course, with our supplies ; but in the 
cabin, the established order for dinner is as follows. On 
Monday, corn and beans and pork, sans potatoes; on 
liuesday, codfish and potatoes ; on Wednesday mush 
and beef; on Thursday, corn and beans and pork again ; 
on Friday, rice and beef; on Saturday, codfish and 
potatges again ; and Sunday, beef and duff^ a sort of 
pudding known universally to sailors. A ship without 
her duff on Sunday, would be considered by all sailors, 
as certainly heterodox, as would the celebration of Christ- 
mas appear to an Englishman without his plumb 
pudding, or of thanksgiving in New England without 
pumpkin pies. The receipt for duff, used by Mr. Free- 
man our primum mobile in such things, is as follows : 
" To a quantity of flour, more or less, (more would be 
preferable in Mr. F^s opinion,) wet up with equal parts 
of salt and fresh water and well stirred, add a quantity 
of "slush" or lard, and yeast; the mixture to be boiled 
in a bag, until it can be dropped from the top-gallant 
cross-trees upon deck, without breaking, when it is 
cooked." 

This has been the bill of fare for all on board, and 



I BILL OF FARE. 153 

i 

! such has been its regularity, that our calender is deter- 
mined by it, and the days of the week are fancifully 
j named, "mush day," "duff day," corresponding to 
I Wednesday and Sunday old style. With the failure of 
i potatoes, our bill of fare has met with sundry important 
I changes, and we have had to adopt another mode of 
\ reckoning time. Our breakfasts and suppers are some- 
1 what similar to our dinners, with the addition in the cabin 
i and steerage of " flippers," or " slapjacks," for breakfast, 
and occasionally for supper. All things considered, our 
fare is good enough ; it is wholesome, which ought to 
i satisfy a reasonable man while at sea ; and besides, our 
viands are discussed with a hearty good will, which 
renders them much more palatable. Though our 
i simple meal is spread out upon a pine table, and 
i our dining service is not the most elegant, yet I 
came to sea to recover my health and not in pursuit of 
I luxuries ; and while participating in our frugal meal 
with the captain and his officers, whose open hearted 
j kindness has made me almost forget my wide separation 
from home, I do not envy the luxurious epicure whose 
companions may indeed be more polished, but possibly 
less noble and disinterested. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

CRUISE IN THE PACIFIC. 

Perilous incidents of a whaler's life — Blackfish, capture, 

DESCRIPTION, and HABITS — SqUID OR CUTTLE FISH— LaRGE SCHOOLS 
OF SPERM WHALES — TeRRIFIC APPROACH TO THE SHIP — LaWS 
OF WHALING AMONG THE CRAFT — TURTLES — BrILLIANT PHOS- 
PHORESCENCE. 

The hazardous profession of the experienced whaler, 
is a chapter of personal adventures. Narrow escapes 
from death, mark his career, and the ordinary dangers to 
which he is exposed, the prospect of which often blanch- 
es the cheek of the novice, have become familiar and are 
forgotten in the ardor of his exciting pursuit. The tedious 
hours of the dog watch in the evening have often been 
beguiled by the officers with their tales of adventures 
during former voyages, while we have been walking the 
deck or lounging in th€ boats. Capt Richards has led 
rather the most exciting life of any of us. Upon two 
occasions, he has been knocked out of the boat by a 
stroke from the flukes of a whale while he was leaning 
over in the opposite direction and looking out for the 
whale as he rose to the surface of the water. Upon 
another occasion, he was thrown several feet into the 
air by a whale coming up suddenly under the boat, and 
as he fell struck upon the head of the whale, but fortu- 
nately received no injury. At another time when among 
a school of right whales, one of the boats close by him 
was placed in a very critical position. A large whale 
that had been struck, upon coming up to blow, shot up, 



PERILS OF A whaler's LIFE. 155 

flukes first, which glancing along the side of th-e boat, 
hung over the terrified crew, as if ready to annihilate 
them in an instant. The men sprang out of the boat to 
avert the impending fate, except the officer commanding 
her, who retained his post undaunted, awaiting the fury 
of the agonized monster, who in an instant, however, 
withdrew his enormous flukes, and gliding them under 
the boat, knocked the two men that were hanging to the 
gunnel, into the boat ! I would not venture to state a 
thing apparently so incredible, had I not been assured of 
the fact upon such unquestionable authority. 

Monday^ March 9. For some time past, great num- 
bers of black fish (a smaller kind of whale,) have made 
Iheir appearance, sometimes coming close up to the ship, 
and amusing us with their gambols. On Saturday last, 
towards evening, a large school of them was announced 
coming in the direction of the ship. Three boats were 
lowered, and after a long chase, one of them was struck. 
The "fast boat" was whirled round and round, but 
exhausted by repeated strokes of the lance the black fish 
" turned up" and was towed to the ship, accompanied by 
all his companions spouting and foaming around the 
boats like attendant tritons. So aflectionate are these 
poor fish, that when one of their number is struck by the 
whaler, the school continues around the sufferer, appear- 
ing to sympathize with him in his agonies. Even when 
dead, they do not desert him, and it was not until a long 
time after the victim had been hoisted upon deck, far 
from their sight, that they abandoned him. 

The captive was of unusual size, measuring twenty one 
feet, one inch in length. The head of the blackfish is large 
and clumsy like that of the sperm whale. His dorsal fin 
is very large, and his side fins are long. His spiracle is 
situated very nearly over the eye, throwing out a large 




156 CRUISE IN THE PACIFIC. 

white perpendicular jet. The black fish in common with 
the sperm whale, feeds upon " squid," a specimen of which, 
nearly entire, was found in the maw of the captive. The 
squid (sepia octopus,) is a singular animal. His body is 
nearly cylindrical, terminating in a broad tail which can 
be expanded or folded up around the smaller part of his 
body. His beak, which is shaped like that of a parrot, is 
set abruptly upon the body, and from every side of it are" 
sent out numerous arms, which grasp his food and bring 
it to his mouth. The entire animal consists of a flabby 
mass of a white color, not unlike very stiff hlanc oiiange^ 
and by the natives of many of the Pacific Islands is 
regarded as a great delicacy. The length of this spe- 
cimen was about three feet including the extended 
brachia. 

Tuesday^ March 10. During the last night, we 
crossed the Equator for the second time since leaving 
the United States. Soon after breakfast, this morn- 
ing, a large school of sperm whales was seen from 
masthead, and all the boats darted off in pursuit of 
them. In calm, still weather, such as was the case 
at this time, the utmost caution is requisite in approach- 
ing a school of whales, as any noise or unusual agita- 
tion in the water is perceived by them at a great 
distance. After the boats have been propelled with 
oars for a suitable distance, the oars are drawn in, and 
the paddles are resorted to, by which they are slowly 
and carefully moved along, or whenever it is possible, 
by the sail, which wafts them gently among the school 
without alarming them. 

The adventure was successful, and the captive was 
hauled alongside amid shouts of applause, and the 
process of " cutting in " was immediately commenced. 
The blubber had just been taken aboard, when " there 



SCHOOLS OF SPERM WHALES. 157 

she blows," resounded throughout the ship, and the boats 
were again lowered, and put off for the attack of a large 
school of sperm whales, about four miles off, that were 
'^breeching" and "turning flukes" in the most phantastic 
manner. After a most cautious approach, and much 
maneuvreing, one of the number was struck. The 
whole school was instantly seized with panic, and with 
such of us as recollected the fate of the Essex, the alarm 
was by no means inconsiderable, as we saw this immense 
throng of monsters, over a hundred in number, come 
rushing in the direction of the ship, like some impetuous 
torrent, foaming and tearing along, and blowing the spray 
high into the air. When about a quarter of a mile from the 
ship, as the ship-keeper was about to tack ship to avert 
their onset, they altered their course, and shot across our 
bow with a loud noise like the distant roar of the surf. 

There are such numbers of whale ships scattered all 
over the ocean, it is not wonderful that whales have 
become shy. We keep four men at mast-head on the 
lookout, during the day time, so that a whale cannot 
come up to blow within the limits of our horizon with- 
out being discovered and pursued, if of a valuable spe- 
cies. Fin back whales display themselves in the most 
insolent manner every day close by us, and are very 
lawless in their movements, a well known characteristic 
of worthless characters. 

Friday^ March 13. A large sperm whale was cap- 
tured this morning before breakfast. The sperm whales 
in this region are remarkable for " breeching," or show- 
mg themselves out of water ; their huge bodies falling 
into the sea again, dash the spray to the height of thirty 
or forty feet, looking at a distance like some sudden 
convulsion of the ocean, while " there she bre-e-ches," is 
sounded from the lookouts aloft — re-echoed from deck — 

14 



158 CRUISE IN THE PACIPrC. 

" square the yards !" shouts the captain, and we are bear- 
ing down upon our game, who little think that their 
merry gambols provoke the attack of their destroyer. 
Though the organ of hearing in the sperm whale, is so 
small, yet their sense of hearing is acute. When a large 
school are feeding, they remain for some time upon the 
surface of the sea spouting frequently, and "breeching," 
or " fan-tailing," i. e. displaying their flukes in the air. 
With all the noise and commotion of the water caused 
by their boisterous sport, they are not alarmed, but 
continue near the same place, descending at their leisure, 
one after another, with their flukes thrown high into the 
air, and rising again to recover breath. Let one of the 
school become alarmed at the approach of danger, and 
with a flourish of his flukes, well understood, the alarm 
is instantly communicated to the others, though scattered 
for several miles over the ocean, and they Betake* t*hem- 
selves to precipitate flight. In rough weather, whales 
are much more accessible, as the tumult of the waves 
deadens the sound of the oars as they strike the water. 

It happens, not unfrequently, that whales, though 
mortally wounded, make their escape and are afterwards 
fallen in with at sea by some other ship. To prevent 
any broils, the consequences of which would be terrible, 
as might be supposed from the formidable equipment of 
the conflicting parties, the laws of whaling are very 
definite and well understood. In cases like the one I 
have mentioned, the whale becomes the property of the 
captor, provided there is no harpoon or lance sticking in 
the carcase, bearing the mark of the ship by w4iich he 
was killed. The law of whaling decides that "craft 
claims the whale," that is, the whale belongs to those 
who killed him, if they present themselves and lay claim 
to him in consequence of the harpoon or lance found 



LAWS OP WHALING. 159 

Sticking in the carcase. If however, the captor succeeds 
in " cutting in " the whale before the other ship proves 
her claim, he is entitled to all the blubber aboard his 
ship. Should the other ship arrive during the progress 
of this operation, and prove her claim, she would be per- 
mitted to take all below the " planksheer," or the level 
of the deck. 

Tuesday^ March 24. We have taken several fine 
turtles within a few days, weighing from fifty to eighty 
pounds each, which made a very pleasant interlude in 
our accustomed fare. These turtles exhibited a most 
remarkable tenacity of life. Some time after their heads 
had been separated from their bodies, as the cook pro- 
ceeded to cut them up, it was a very painful sight to 
witness their contortions of agony ; and their heads, as 
they lay upon deck, for more than half an hour after 
being severed from their bodies, laid hold of whatever 
touched them, with convulsive energy, while their eyes 
glared wildly every few minutes. I was told by one 
of the crew, that these heads would live nine days, an 
observation as veracious probably as the fabled vitality 
of the cat, with her nine lives. 

We are now cruising in Panama bay, in latitude 3^ 
north, and with a broiling sun over our heads, and 
scarcely a breath of wind to mitigate the intensity of his 
rays, our situation is almost intolerable. At night, the 
phosphorescence of the sea is magnificent : every dash 
of the sea throws out myriads of brilliant spangles, and 
the fish darting by, leave a long line of fire after them. 
This evening, in drawing up a large rope attached to a 
shark hook, with which I had been amusing myself 
during the day, my attention was arrested by the phos- 
phorescence of the rope ; which looked like a robe of 
glittering spangles. After repeated experiments, I found 



160 CRUISE IN THE PACIFIC. 

that the intensity of the light was greatly increased by 
the friction of my hand, and when it gradually waned 
so as to be almost imperceptible, by the same means, the 
light was renewed. If these phosphorescent points of 
light emanate from animalculse— the prevalent opinion 
among naturalists — the variations of the light in intensity 
seems to imply that when these animalculae are quies- 
cent, the light they emit is faint, but when they are 
roused by anything which agitates them, they exhibit 
those brilliant phosphorescent spangles that gem the 
dark wave at night. 

Thursday^ March 26. This afternoon, a large school 
of black fish made their appearance within a short dis- 
tance of the ship. Some of them were not much larger 
than porpoises, and the school probably numbered over 
a thousand. Longitude 83° 65'. We are now steering for 
Tacames, a small town upon the coast of Colombia, not 
far from the equator. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

VISIT TO TACAMES 



Situation of Tacames — Interesting appearance of the vege- 
table KINGDOM — Tropical fruits — Landing in the surf — 
Density of the forests — An incident — Phosphorescence of 
FISH after death — Carousals on shore. 



Sunday^ March 29. About four bells, (10 o'clock) 
this moriiingj " Land ho !" was proclaimed from aloft, 
and by the latter part of the afternoon, we lay at anchor 
off Tacames^ a small town on the north-western coast of 
South America, latitude 0° 58' north, longitude 79° 23^ 
west, in an open roadstead, about three miles from shore. 
This is the first time we have anchored since leaving 
America, a period of more than five months ; and the 
prospect of setting foot once more upon terra firma, was 
to all of us very pleasant. We landed this afternoon at 
the mouth of a small river about two miles from Ta- 
cames, where were two or three houses in an opening be- 
tween the high clayey hills which bound the coast. Cap- 
tain R., is well acquainted with the Spanish language of 
the coast, which was acquired during his captivity 
among the Spaniards, by whom he was taken prisoner 
several years ago, while at the island of St. Marys, near 
the coast of Chili, at the time of the revolutionary move- 
ments in the western provinces of South America. All 

14* 




162 VISIT TO TACAMES. 

the ship's company were compelled to bear arms in the 
ranks of one of the parties contending for the sovereignty 
of the country, but after a long servitude, he made his 
escape with his comrades in an open boat, and after 
encountering many dangers and sufferings, arrived at 
Valparaiso, where he easily obtained passage homeward. 

The houses of the inhabitants are all constructed after 
the same plan. They are elevated upon posts about 
eight feet from the ground, which renders them cool and 
airy, and protects the occupants from the sand flies. A 
species of large reed, is the universal building material, 
while the roof thatched with forest leaves, is the most 
complicated part of the architecture. 

I could not but admire the exuberant growth of every 
thing belonging to the vegetable kingdom. The most 
delicious pine apples spread out before us, while the 
cocoanut tree, the plantain and the banana waved their 
broad leaves gracefully in the breeze. Here were oran- 
ges, limes and other fruits lying scattered around in 
neglected profusion. The fig tree had also begun to put 
forth, and the indigo plant grew spontaneously like the 
most common weed. After obtaining the information 
we desired, with regard to a suitable place to procure 
water, we launched our boat through the surf and were 
soon aboard the ship. 

Friday^ April 4. We are again under way, and 
while the ship is dashing on over the billows, I hasten to 
give a sketch of what took place while we lay at anchor 
off Tacames. 

On Monday morning, two boats were despatched with 
a raft of casks, to be filled with water in the creek, about 
a mile from shore. Large casks, holding from five to 
seven barrels, are selected for such purposes, and are 



AN INCIDENT. 163 

thrown overboard with a rope upon each side passing 
through a couple of " beckets " or loups confined by the 
hoops of the casks. 

Having arranged our raft, with two boats ahead, we 
passed safely through the surf, and made our \vay up 
the creek, inhaling the delightful fragrance that arose 
from the woods. The trees along the margin of the 
creek sent their long, slender branches into the earth 
again, forming a thicket so dense, that hardly anything 
but the scarlet land crab, of which we saw great num- 
bers, could traverse it at all. We proceeded on, until 
we were obliged to stop where the river was too shallow 
to float the boats, and then commenced filling our casks, 
while I went into a house near at hand, to make a call 
upon some Spanish ladies who came down to the bank 
of the stream to welcome us. Each of them was decked 
off with all the finery she could display, and held a cigar 
in her pretty mouth, from which wreaths of smoke were 
sent forth, with all the grace of the most fastidious 
proficient. 

My visit was conducted almost entirely in pantomime, 
as I was unacquainted with their language, and it was 
very short, (which is not always the case with those that 
have but little to say,) and I started in pursuit of game, 
but found it impossible to proceed in any direction, 
owing to the dense thickets that opposed my progress. 
Becoming weary of fishing, to which I had recourse for 
amusement, I endeavored to make my way along the 
creek down to the sea shore, where I might exercise my 
skill at pleasure upon the pelicans that were assembled 
in great numbers upon the beach, picking up whatever 
might be thrown up by the sea. After advancing a few 
yards amid numberless difficulties, I was brought to a 
stand, finding it impossible to proceed forward and nearly 



164 VISIT TOTACAMES*. 

SO to return ; besides, I did not much fancy penetrating* 
into these thickets which are infested with serpents of 
the most venomous character, as well as with scorpions 
and centipedes of every variety. While waiting upon the 
bank at a loss what to do, a boy came paddling along in 
a little nutshell of a canoe, seated very composedly in 
the stern of his craft. With the assistance of a real (12^ 
cts.,) he comprehended my desire of going down to the 
beach, and ranged his canoe alongside the bank, for me 
to embark. The moment I put my foot into the canoe, 
she filled with water and turned me into the stream over 
my head. Weighed down by several pounds of shot, and 
having a gun in my hand, I found myself paddling 
about at a very great disadvantage, especially as the 
current was setting me down towards the beach in a style 
I had not anticipated. Finding it impossible to do any- 
thing while thus encumbered, I was forced to drop my 
gun, and then without much difficulty I regained the 
bank, where I stood reflecting upon the awkwardness of 
the disaster, of which the fair ladies I had been visiting 
were admiring spectators, a doubly aggravating circum- 
stance, for one would deprecate appearing before the 
ladies in such a predicament, unless in their behalf 

Several of the crew perceiving my misfortune, has- 
tened to my assistance and immediately plunged in after 
the gun, which was brought up after much exertion, 
notwithstanding the disinterested advice of a Spaniard, 
who stood looking on, not to attempt its recovery. 
With the agreeable reflection that the boats could not 
start for the ship in less than an hour and a half, I 
adjourned to a neighboring house — not the one I visited 
before — for my appearance was altogether too heroi- 
comical for that. 

We passed down the river in fine style, with three 



AN INCIDENT. 165 

boats followed by a long line of casks, making the dark 
woods echo upon every side with our songs. 

Towards evening, by invitation, I accompanied Capt. 
K., in a hunting excursion up the creek we had ascend- 
ed during the morning. On our way we shot several 
pelicans, great numbers of which frequented this place, 
assembling in flocks upon inaccessible trees, or stretch- 
ing along the beach in pursuit of their prey. Upon 
our return to the ship, during the night, happening to 
awake from sleep, I was startled by the appearance of 
two bails of fire, like the eyes of some malignant being 
glaring horridly upon me in the darkness. With all my 
philosophic disbelief in supernatural appearances, super- 
stitious feelings were rapidly gaining the supremacy, 
when it occurred to my mind that this apparition was 
nothing more than the phosphorescence emitted by a fish 
I had hung up in the state room during the evening, on 
the body of which two spots were glowing with peculiar 
brightness. 

It is customary whenever a whale ship goes into 
port to recruit, to allow the crew to go ashore by 
watches alternately, and ramble around for the benefit 
of their health. On Tuesday morning therefore, per- 
mission was given to the starboard watch to go ashore, 
" on liberty," as this privilege is termed. An overhaul- 
ing of " shore clothes," from the bottoms of chests suc- 
ceeded, and in a few minutes — for Jack's toilet is soon 
made — the second mate left the ship, with his entire 
watch to have a holiday on terra firma. The latter 
part of the forenoon, Capt. R., and myself landed at 
Tacames, which is situated upon a river, at the mouth 
of which, the surf breaks in all its fury over a long 
sand beach. No one can have an adequate idea of 
the difiiculty of landing in the surf, unless he has derived 



h 



166 VISIT TO TACAMES. 

it from experience. As the mighty waters of the ocean 
come bounding along, they acquire a tremendous mo- 
mentum, and burst upon the shore with a violence that 
makes the earth tremble with the shock. The whale 
boat from its shape and the security of its steering oar, is 
better adapted for ensuring safety in the surf, than the 
common class of ship's boats. When among the break- 
ers, upon looking behind, you see the swollen waters 
gathering in dread array, and with increasing velocity 
sweeping in a mighty mass, presaging destruction to 
every opposing obstacle. The angry wave curls above 
the stern, and bursting, is divided upon each side of the 
boat, which is hurried forward with the speed of the 
wind at each impulse of its wrathful pursuer. 

Upon arriving at the village, we found that the 
Alcalde^ or head man, had gone off to the ship, and we 
hastened to return therefore, as soon as possible. Here 
we met the Alcalde, and an Englishman, who accompa- 
nied him, to assist in making a bargain with the Cap- 
tain for goods of various kinds.* This Englishman 
had led a life full of adventures. He ran away 
from an English ship to which he belonged, and lived 
for a while among the natives of the Navigator Is- 
lands, by whom he was regarded as a great warrior, 
and acquired such an influence over them, that he 
persuaded them to abandon many of their barbarous 
customs and adopt some of the arts of civilized life. I 
saw his wife at Tacames, a very pretty English woman, 
but with the seal of death impressed upon her feeble form. 

Towards sunset, the Alcalde and the Englishman 
started for the shore in one of our boats. When we got 

* Masters of whale ships usually carry out a quantity of merchandize, and 
many of them realize a very handsome profit upon their dry goods and 
nicknacks. 



CAROUSALS ON SHORE. 167 

into the surf, through negligence the stern of the boat 
was not pointed towards the breakers — a heavy roller 
came bounding after us — it was too late to avert its 
attack, and we were whirled around broadside to the 
combing wave, and were immediately full of water. At 
that moment the men jumped out, and hurried the boat 
upon the beach before another roller had time to over- 
take us. The goods purchased by the Alcalde were now 
displayed well saturated with salt water, amid his 
varied exclamations and execrations in Spanish, the 
peculiar force of which we were utterly unable to 
appreciate, and received with a becoming nonchalance. 

We now directed our steps towards the village, in 
search for the starboard watch, whose loud shouts and 
songs indicated very readily where they were. The 
condition in which we found most of them, I shall pass 
over in silence, as a scene I would gladly forget. In 
a short time we returned to our boat to make the 
attempt of going off to the ship ; but the tide was too low 
for the boat to float in the river, and the surf combed 
fearfully upon the beach not far from us. Deeming the 
attempt too hazardous, we concluded to wait until day- 
light, and returned to the village to spend the night as 
well^ as we could. As we moved forward, we were 
attracted by a light under one of the houses, and upon 
coming up to it, I found it to be a house Captain R. and 
myself had visited during the forenoon at the request of 
the owner, to prescribe for his mother and sister that 
were laboring under an attack of the fever and ague. 
Every where we went, I was introduced as the " Phy- 
sico," or physician of the ship, a title more agreeable 
to the comprehensions of the inhabitants than that 
of "passenger," and I had no objection to bearing 
it jiro tem^ although my claims to it were slender. 



168 VISIT TO TACAMES. 

Upon going up to the house, we found tlie Spaniard 
feeding his donkey, attended by his dutiful wife who 
held the torch made of brown paper fed with spirits of 
turpentine. 

They requested us to walk up stairs and see the 
invalids, and we were ushered into the bed room of the 
ladies, where my comrades seated themselves with as 
much independence and gravity, as if we constituted a 
council of physicians. I gave the invalids each some 
medicine, brought off from the ship which was taken 
with many wry faces accompanied with " mucho malo," 
and other exclamations. After leaving some quinine 
with them to be taken at regular intervals, we adjourned, 
much to the relief of the ladies, into the adjoining room, 
where some arrangements had been made for our accom- 
modations during the night. My bed was the soft side 
of a bench which extended around the room next to the 
wall of the building, with a canopy of calico over me to 
keep off the musquitoes. All their beds are furnished 
with these appendages, without which, it would be 
impossible to sleep, on account of the number and viru- 
lence of these venomous insects. The third mate slept 
in the hammock, a universal article of furniture in every 
house, consistins: of a broad net work of reeds gathered 
together at the two ends by cords with which it is sus- 
pended to rafters overhead. In this, the Spanish ladies 
are to be seen lolling for the greater part of the time, 
vibrating backwards and forwards. Thus we passed the 
night, roused from our slumbers every few minutes by 
the sting of musquitoes, the howling of dogs, and the 
braying of the donkey underneath us in reply to the sal- 
utations of other donkeys. Qualis strepitus ! A combi- 
nation of a squeal, a yell, and a grunt, thrown together 
in one inharmonious concert. 



THE ALCALDE. 169 

At the first appearance of daylight, we were on the 
move, and after hunting up the boat's crew, we hurried 
down to the beach, stopping frequently to listen to the 
savage cries of the wild beasts in the dense woods upon 
the opposite side of the river. The equatorial regions 
of South America are infested with many varieties of 
beasts of prey, the most terrible of which is a species of 
panther, called the "South American Lion," found 
in great abundance in this neighborhood. We launch- 
ed our boat into the surf after dragging her for thirty or 
forty yards over the sand beach, and were soon along- 
side the ship. 

A few hours afterwards, I went ashore with the lar* 
board watch to spend the day. Upon arriving at the 
village we met the Alcalde, who invited me to visit his 
"plantation," a mile or more from the landing place. 
We wound our way through a thick wood, perfumed 
with flowering shrubs and trees, and thronged with 
lizards, halting every few minutes for the eloquence of 
the Alcalde to expend itself in vain attempts to induce 
me to sell a pair of pantaloons that graced my person, the 
acquisition of which he had taken very much at heart 
and had lavished an abundance of oratory upon me with 
no better effect, on the preceding day. The boasted 
" plantation" consisted of three or four acres of land, part 
of which was under cultivation. On one side, a small 
field of corn was pointed out to us, with great self com- 
placency by his Honor, expecting Yankees who had 
seen cornfields extending as far as the eye could reacli^ 
to burst into ecstacies at this exhibition of his agricultu- 
ral enterprise. Near the house was a sweet potato 
patch, where sat a man, a la Turc, among the vines 
digging with a stick the potatoes engaged for the ship. 

Upon entering the house we were well received by 

1.5 



170 VISIT TO TACAMES. 

the sister of the Alcalde and a fair eyed girl related t6 
them. Both of these were invalids ; the former was 
in the last stages of the pulmonary consumption, a 
disease which I thought confined to our own capri- 
cious and inhospitable clime. With an "adios," 
(adieu,) we returned to Tacames, where in company 
with one of the boatsteerers, I took a particular survey 
of the settlement. Every house that had an invit- 
ing appearance we entered, and made a short call upon 
its inmates, when we were always well received. My 
character of "Physico," brought me a constant prac- 
tice whenever I went ashore. Every fair one ima- 
gined herself sick, and presented her arm for me to exa- 
mine her pulse. The females all have beautiful arms and 
hands ; the occasion too, was very favorable for exhibit- 
ing them. In these cases, looking very profound, if they 
seemed well enough, I answered confidently, "no infirmo 
Signora." If however, the patient was really unwell, my 
answer was given in an encouraging tone " poco infirmo," 
(slightly sick,) as if there was nothing to fear. My 
assurances were received with implicit confidence 
apparently, which doubtless was of no disadvantage to 
them. It is a singular fact that in proportion to the 
beauty of the fair applicant, a longer time was required 
to count the pulsations of her arm; an opinion was 
pronounced upon the old and ugly almost at sight. The 
ladies were many of them very pretty, with an inimitable 
grace of movement ; and I could easily imagine, that the 
soft intonations of that noble language to one acquainted 
with it, seconded by a glance from their dark flashing 
eye, must prove irresistable. 

In our rambles we visited the chapel, an oblong build- 
ing standing in an open space. The thatched roof is 
composed of two parts, as if, after its construction, it had 



THE CHAPEL. 171 

been divided longitudinally, upon each side of the ridge, 
and the upper part elevated two or three feet above the 
lower, an arrangement admirably adapted for coolness. 
A matting of reeds covered the ground, and at the fur- 
ther end was the altar, upon the top of which was a 
representation of the Saviour on the cross. Down the 
sides of the altar, the drippings of sperm candles used in 
the service, had run like the stalactites of some subterra- 
nean cavern. Adjoining the altar was the vestry room, 
in which were stiff looking images intended no doubt, to 
play pantomime on great occasions. One or two rickety 
benches were all the seats provided for the accommoda- 
tion of the audience. 

We took dinner at the house where 1 had spent the 
night. A soup was made for us out of an antiquated 
fowl, which some supposed might have belonged to the 
original stock introduced by Pizarro. The soup was, 
however, very well, and with a due mixture of green 
corn, sweet potatoes, and cassada, besides several 
unknown accompaniments, there was sufficient for 
six or eight of us. We were charged about two dollars, 
partly for our dinner, and partly for the privilege we 
assumed of laughing at our hosts and rallying them upon 
the origin of the " pauvre galina." 

Towards sunset, the third mate and I, accompanied by 
three of the crew, launched the bow boat into the surf, 
and some way or other we passed safely through the 
combing breakers, which was more than we expected, as 
one of the men was drunk and refused to pull, and 
another one was so far under the influence of " aquar- 
dente," as not to know which end of the boat to face. It 
was a wonder we were not " swamped," and every one 
lost. We had but just emerged from the breakers when 



172 VISIT TO TACAMES. 

the man who had refused to pull, suddenly " peaked" his 
car, and plunging into the sea, endeavored to reach the 
shore, while we continued to pull ahead until we were 
out of the reach of danger, when we lay to, watching his 
movements. Although a powerful swimmer, he still 
continued where we left him, struggling in vain among 
the waves, for the " undertow" or reaction of a heavy 
surf always throws the swimmer farther and farther from 
the shore, unless he has been taught by experience how 
to manage. The fate of the man appeared to be inevita- 
ble, as he was almost exhausted by vain efforts to reach 
the shore, when the question was debated whether we 
should turn about and endeavor to save the sufferer at 
the risk of our own lives, or abandon him to his awful 
fate. One of the men proposed to let him go, but the 
mate declared that he could never see a man drown 
before his eyes without an effort to save him ; and with 
a vigorous stroke of the steering oar, the boat was in an 
instant pointing towards the breakers, and at the immi- 
nent hazard of being " swamped," we rescued the man, 
who was now completely exhausted. We had but just 
room enough to turn round without coming within the 
reach of the breakers, and after a hard pull, we reached 
the ship, where 1 met a jpadre^ or priest from Tacames, 
no ways remarkable, except for his plump cheeks, and 
the huge masses of beef he devoured at supper. 

Thursday was devoted to the reception of the fruits 
and vegetables purchased for the ship, of which a most 
abundant supply was obtained. When the bananas, 
plantains, and other fruits were suspended upon deck and 
from aloft, the ship looked as if she had been dressed off 
with evergreens for some festive occasion, while the cabin 
and state rooms were full of the finest oranges, limes, pine- 



SUPPLY OP FRUITS. 173 

apples and cocoanuts, according to the testimony of the 
officers, of a quality superior to that of any tropical fruits 
they had ever seen in any part of the world. 

The plantain is very similar in appearance to the 
banana, which I have described in another place. The 
fruit when ripe, is a soft, sweetish, golden colored pulp, 
from ten to twelve inches long, with a slender core set 
thick with minute purple seeds. The pod containing 
the fruit is readily stripped off, and the plantain when 
sliced and fried, is one of the most delicious esculents I 
ever tasted. The banana in taste, reminds me of the 
richest orange pears we have at home. We have seve- 
ral enormous bunches on board, containing from two to 
three hundred bananas each, for which we paid but 
twenty-five cents. 

The Cocoa-nut tree rears a tall, slim, branchless trunk, 
rising sometimes to the height of thirty or forty feet. 
From the top of it, spring forth broad filamentous leaves 
of a dark green hue, waving gracefully to every passing 
breeze, among which, the nuts, often numbering twenty 
or tliirty, encased in thick husks, adhere closely to the 
trunk of the tree. The cocoa-nuts we have on board 
contain a pint or two of a delicious beverage, whose re- 
freshing richness is unknown to us at home. The Pine 
Apple grows in a sandy soil, immediately upon the 
ground, surrounded by a circle of long grassy leaves, 
tipped at their extremities with a delicate orange red. 
The specimens of this fruit on board are very large, and 
extremely delicious, with a fibre so tender as to admit of 
their being eaten with a spoon. 

We also procured a supply of limes at the rate of 
twelve and a half cents per hundred. They are about 
twice the size of ordinary limes and are so juicy that the 

15* 



174 VISIT TO TAG AMES. 

juice of but thirty-two of them, expressed without much 
care, filled a large junk bottle. 

We left our anchorage early on Friday morning, with 
a strong land breeze ; the shores of South America ra- 
pidly faded from our sight, and soon we were out to sea, 
where the sky and the blue waters meet to form the circle 
of the horizon. 



CHAPTER XV. 

VOYAaE TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 

Approach the Gallapagos Islands — Narrow escape from 
SHIPWRECK — Steer for the Society Islands — Capture of a 

LARGE whale MoTHER CaRY's CHICKENS — PeAKED-NOSE SHARK 

— Dangerous situation of the ship — Steer for the Sandwich 
Islands — Trade winds — Arrival at Oahu. 

Saturday. Aj^ril 11. Yesterday afternoon, Chatham 
Island, the most easterly of the Gallapagos group, began 
to be dimly seen above the western horizon, and at even- 
ing its outlines were distinctly marked out by the setting 
sun, though still at a great distance. A beautiful even- 
ing succeeded, and the still breeze that fanned us along 
was highly refreshing after the heat of the day : for we 
were but a few miles south of the Equator. With the 
prospect of a fine day on the morrow, our guns and fish- 
ing gear were made ready for a hunting and fishing ex- 
cursion we had in contemplation, and I retired to my 
berth full of the anticipated sport of the coming day. 

The wind continued light, and we moved slowly up 
towards the Island, which from the shadowy appearance 
that distant land always presents, gradually assumed a 
more real existence. The watches took care of the ship 
alternately, as usual, aiid a bright look-out was kept as 
we approached the dark mass lying directly before us. 
Before midnight, the ship was heading one or two points 



176 TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 

off the land, but as she still neared the Island, the officer of 
the watch came down a little before three o'clock, to re- 
ceive instructions from the captain with regard to altering 
her course. I happened to be awake at the time, form- 
ing plans for our excursion, and heard the officer ascend 
the companion way and walk forward a kw steps, when 
we were all thrown into alarm by the noise upon deck 
and the loud voice of the officer, "Put your helm hard 

down ! down with it ! Capt. Richards ! Capt. Rich " 

Before the words were out of his mouth, the captain and 
his officers bounded upon deck, and at that moment, the 
ship, with a tremendous shock that shook every timber, 
and reverberated through her frame with a heavy hollow 
sound, struck upon a reef of rocks. All hands hurried 
upon deck, some with low exclamations, and a kw with 
spare articles of clothing which were stowed away in the 
boats. 

" Let go your halliards, fore and aft," shouted the 
captain. A shrill creaking of sheaves, as the ties, run- 
ners and halliards ran over them, was heard from aloft, 
and the lofty yards settled down upon their lifts — the 
foresail clewed up, and the gib and staysails run down. 
" Tumble aft — tumble aft there some of you and lower 
down the starboard-quarter boat." The boat was lower- 
ed, manned, and proceeded to sound in the neighborhood 
of the ship. Close under the lee bow, the depth of 
water was but nine feet, and a little ahead twelve feet, 
an ill-omened position for a ship drawing eighteen feet 
of water. The fate of the North America was appa- 
rently sealed, and while the captain and officers were 
awaiting with intense anxiety the reports of the sound- 
ing line, I had an opportunity of taking a more deliberate 
survey of our situation. On the larboard side, the high 
outlines of Chatham Island rose up gloomily from the 



ESCAPE FROM SHIPWRECK. 177 

sea, not more than a quarter of a mile off, while on the 
starboard side was a small rock, about a ship's length off, 
forming part of the ledge upon which the ship thumped 
heavily every few minutes. Upon this rock several seals 
were collected together, whose dismal howls rendered 
the scene the more terrible. 

Meanwhile a small anchor attached to the " cutting 
falls" had been carried out astern and dropped, and with 
all hands hold of the line, the attempt was made to haul 
the ship off the ledge stern-foremost, but in vain, and 
the line was made fast to prevent the ship running 
upon the rocks any farther. The loss of the ship 
seemed inevitable — the alternate rise and fall of the 
swell lifted her up to hurry her fate as she fell pow- 
erless with a hollow groan upon the grating rocks below. 
Small casks were filled with water, and some bread 
was brought from the steerage to be put into the boats 
upon abandoning the wreck, and the boats also were 
made ready for instant service. To improve the little 
time that might elapse before the ship should begin to go 
down, I descended into the cabin, and with a sigh over 
my books and other valuables, proceeded to select my 
most durable suit of clothes and put them on as well as 
I was able, while each shock of the ship almost threw 
me from off my feet. While thus employed, Capt. K. 
made his appearance, exclaiming in a sorrowful tone, 
" This is the last we shall see of the North America — 
we shall have to take to the boats before long, if she con- 
tinues to thump in this way." This, indeed, was the 
universal opinion, as each rude shock seemed to forbode 
! the certain destruction of the ship. Most providentially, 
the wind was light, and the swell was not formidable in 
the narrow channel where we were fixed upon the rocks. 
On our starboard bow there was a passage into deeper 



^ 



178 TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 

water, and our only hope for the preservation of the ship, 
appeared to be, in carrying one of onr heavy anchors in 
this direction — dropping it — and then endeavoring to 
warp her off the rocks. 

The spare topmasts and other large spars were cast 
loose from their lashings, and a raft commenced to 
transport the anchor into the proper place, when at the 
moment it was to be launched, the captain, who stood 
upon the tafferel directing the movements of the men, 
suddenly exclaimed, "the ship's afloat — cast off the stern 
line !" This joyful intelligence thrilled through every 
heart— the men sprang to execute the command, and the 
ship glided slowly past the ledge of rocks into deeper 
water ; and as sail after sail was hoisted and sheeted 
home, in a few minutes we were out of all danger. 
When the sun rose above the horizon, the scene of our 
disaster was just visible far astern. 

The Gallapagos Islands are an extensive group lying 
under the equator in longitude 90° west. They are of 
a volcanic nature, extremely rugged in their surface and 
covered over with dwarf shrubbery and prickly pears. 
Upon several of these islands are found great numbers 
of terrapins, weighing frequently five or six hundred 
pounds, and surpassed by nothing in the catalogue of 
gastromanie. Springs of water are very rarely met 
with, and these are indicated by the paths leading to them 
made by the terrapin. Among the wild tracts which 
cover these barren islands, individuals wandering from 
the parties with whom they were hunting terrapin, have 
miserably perished for want of water, and human skeletons 
have been found at different times declaring the horrid 
fate of the lost sufferers. It is no uncommon occurrence 
for men that have strayed from their parties to be lost 
for a day or two. Their only resource to alleviate their 



AN INCIDENT. 179 

thirst is to cut open a terrapin and drink the fluid in his 
stomach, which I am' told, Uke that of the camel, contains 
a reservoir of water, sufficient for the animal for a long 
time. One of our men told me, that when hunting 
terrapin at one of these islands, some time ago, he was 
separated from his party for nearly three days. Full of 
horrible apprehension at the dreadful fate which awaited 
him, he ran madly about over the sharp rocks in every 
direction, in the hope of catching a glimpse of the ship, 
while his brain seemed ready to burst from the burning 
heat of the sun and the maddening agony of his awful 
situation. On the third day, he came in sight of the 
ship's boat, as she was pulling off for the last time, after 
his shipmates had searched for him in vain, and deposit- 
ing a quantity of water and provisions in a conspicuous 
place for his use, had abandoned him to his dreadful 
fate. 

If the ship had been wrecked at Chatham Island, the 
tranquil weather of this region would have enabled us 
to land from the wreck, provisions and water, of which 
we had a supply for more than two months, as well as 
any thing that might be necessary. This is a favorite 
" cruising ground" of whalers, who would doubtless have 
afforded us assistance, or one of the boats would have 
been sent to Charles's Island, distant more than a hundred 
miles, the only inhabited Island of the group. If these 
expedients failed, the wreck would have supplied us with 
ample materials for building a small vessel in which to 
run into the coast. 

Our utmost desire is now to reach the Society Islands 
as soon as possible, where the ship will be unladen and 
"hove down," to repair damages. The distance to the 
coast is about six hundred miles, but as there are but 
few conveniences that we require, in any of the Spanish 



180 TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 

ports, it is deemed advisable to steer for the Society 
Islands, distant about three thousand six hundred miles, 
a long- distance to pass over — farther than a voyage 
to England — in a leaky ship, whose opening seams may 
send her to the bottom before half that distance has been 
traversed. Upon investigating the causes of our late 
disaster, it appears to be attributable to an error of 
judgment rather than to carelessness. The wind was 
fair during the night, and the order was given to haul 
the ship on the wind if she neared the land. The ship 
accordingly was steered one or two points oif the land, but 
as the wind was light and there was a strong current set- 
ting towards the Island, she drifted much faster than her 
progressive motion, and from the haziness resting upon 
the land, the distance of which is always very deceptive 
at night, she was close upon the rocks when she appeared 
to be several miles from the island. 

Wednesday^ April 15. It is a glorious evening. 
The sun went down with a purple and golden splendor, 
such as we see at home in our autumnal sunsets, an 
unusual scene in the tropics, where night follows too fast 
upon the steps of day for protracted twilight to intervene. 
The full orbed moon too is sporting with her silvery 
beams upon the glassy ocean. Just after sunset, the 
surface of the sea seemed to be alive with thousands of 
minute animals that threw out a purple light in their 
gambols upon the water, looking very much like the 
light emitted from some varieties of fluor spar when 
thrown upon a plate of heated iron. These animals 
were doubtless small fish, as they frequently sprang out 
of water when attacked by larger fish to which they 
served as prey. This is a very unusual exhibition; 
and indeed, it is said to be never seen except in low lati- 
tudes after a long succession of calm weather. 



CAPTURE OF A WHALE. 181 

Thursday^ April 16. On Monday last, we took a 
large sperm whale, which yielded over sixty barrels of 
oil. His head was too large to be hoisted upon deck as 
on former occasions; the lower and middle sections 
were hoisted in upon deck, while the case — (the cavity 
ia the upper part filled with almost pure sperm,) was 
firmly secured in an upright position along side of the 
ship, and the spermaceti bailed out of it. 1 

After the process of " trying out" was completed, the 
oil was "run down," an important operation aboard a 
whale ship, which has taken place with us once or twice 
before. The hold of large vessels is usually divided 
into two parts, by a deck parallel to the upper deck. In 
the lower hold of a whale ship the casks are carefully 
arranged in tiers, some of which are filled with salt 
water for ballast, which is pumped off", and oil substitu- 
ted. There is a long hose leading from a tub which 
receives the oil through an opening in the deck, as the 
oil casks are successively rolled over the orifice. By this 
expeditious method, seventy or eighty barrels of oil may 
be " run down," in a very short time. 

The teeth of the sperm whale vary from four to five 
inches in length, and are imbedded more than two-thirds 
in the lower jaw. They are susceptible of a very high 
polish, and are beginning to be valued as an article of 
merchandize, which has induced sperm whalers to col- 
lect all the teeth of their captured whales, as constituting 
a part of the profits of the voyage. The extraction of 
the teeth is the practice of dentistry on a grand scale. 
The patient, i. e. the lower jaw, is bound down to ring 
bolts in the deck. The dentist, a boatsteerer, with 
several assistants, first makes a vigorous use of his gu7n 
lancet^ to wit, a cutting spade wielded in both hands. A 
start is given to the teeth, while his assistants apply the 

16 



182 TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 

instrument of extraction to one end of the row, consisting 
of a powerful purchase of two fold pulleys, and at the 
tune of «0! hurrah my hearties O !" the teeth snap 
from their sockets in quick succession. (See the cut.) 

Great numbers of Petrels or " Mother Carey's chick- 
ens," flocked around the ship while the whale was along- 
side, and I succeeded in capturing several of them, by 
hanging a few threads over the stern attached to a float to 
keep them distended, in which the petrels, in flying around 
the stern, became entangled and were easily secured. 
The petrel is a very pretty bird, about as large as the 
sparrow, having a dark brown, glossy plumage, with a 
fringe of white feathers upon his back near the tail. His 
nostrils unite in a single tube upon the upper mandible of 
the bill, and he is web-footed like all sea birds. " Mother 
Carey's chickens," as the sailors call these birds, are 
found in every latitude all over the globe. They almost 
seem to have sprung out of the ocean ; for in the storm 
or the calm alike, they are seen skimming over the 
waves in quest of food many hundred miles from land. 

The "Mother Carey's chicken," was formerly re- 
garded with superstitious fancies by the mariner. The 
appearance of these birds in great numbers, was supposed 
to be indicative of the coming storm, and while their 
presence was a bad omen and to be deprecated, the 
warning was received with a becoming reverence. To 
shoot one of them would doom the rash oflender to dire 
misfortune. The petrel, therefore, was held sacred 
in the creed of the prudent voyager. 

" up and down ! Up and down ! 
From the base of the wave to the billow's crown, 
And amidst the flashing and feathery foam 
The Stormy Petrel finds a home,— 



PEAKED-NOSE SHARK. 183 

A home, if such a place may be 

For her who lives on the wide wide sea, 

On the craggy ice, in the frozen air, 

And only seeketh her rocky lair 

To warm her young, and teach them spring 

At once o'er the waves on their stormy wing ! 

O'er the deep ! O'er the deep ! 

Where the whale, and the shark, and the sword fish sleep, 

Outflying the blast and the driving rain. 

The Petrel telle th her tale in vain ; 

For the mariner curseth the warning bird 

Who bringeth him news of the storms unheard ! 

Ah ! thus does the prophet, of good or ill. 

Meet hate from the creatures he serveth still : 

Yet he ne'er falters : — So Petrel ! spring 

Once more o'er the waves on thy stormy wing." 

Barry Cornwall. 

The whale captured the other day was hauled along- 
side at SO late an hour, that the " cutting in " was defer- 
red until the next day, and we were obliged to " lay by " 
him all night. Great numbers of sharks were attracted 
to the carcass, and on the succeeding morning, I caught 
six or seven of them, with a large hook attached to a 
chain to prevent its being bitten off by the powerful 
jaws of this voracious animal. The Peaked-Nose Sharks 
of which variety these were specimens, is about seven 
feet long. He has a long fin upon each side of his body, 
black upon the upper side and white underneath. The 
flukes are vertical and of unequal length ; the upper one, 
the longer of the two, seems to be the only one used in 
directing the motions of the animal. The mouth is 
situated at some distance from the end of his nose, so 
that he is obliged to turn over upon his side whenever 
he bites. His terrible jaws are armed with extremely 
sharp teeth, inclining inwards; in the lower jaw the 
teeth are about half an inch long, and set in three rows j 
in the upper jaw, there is but one row, but the teeth are 



184 TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 

larger and serrated. A bite from one of these animals ^! 
must be terrible indeed. Just forward of the side fins 
are five orifices, which are the gills through which he ■ 
derives air from the water, and consequently is not 
compelled, like cetacea, to come upon top of water to 
breathe. The skin of the shark is very hard and rough 
like a file, which renders it an excellent substitute for 
sandpaper in smoothing wood work. The Peaked-Nose 
shark, is known by the name of the Blue sharks from 
the dark azure tint upon his back, which divides his 
body into two equal shades, a dark and a light. He is 
always accompanied by several pilot fish that swim 
by his side, and manifest the greatest consternation 
whenever their ferocious companion is captured. The 
shark in all his varieties, is regarded with inveterate 
hatred by the sailor, and is considered a legitimate 
subject for the exercise of his skill in darting the lance 
or spade, to which this savage animal is admirably 
adapted from his apparent insensibility to pain. At the 
repeated gashes he receives from these formidable instru- 
ments, he manifests the utmost indifierence and calm 
composure, and even with a large hook in his mouth he 
still continues to exercise his voracious propensities. 
Aboard whale ships, sometimes, upon the capture of a 
shark during the process of trying out, he is drawn up 
out of water by two or three men, and a gallon or more 
of boiling oil is poured down his open mouth, a most 
cruel act, but defended on the ground that "nothing is 
too bad for a shark." 

Monday^ April 20. A large school of sperm whales 
was seen this afternoon, not far from the ship ; but the 
imperative necessity of reaching port as soon as possible, 
owing to the leaky state of the ship, obliged us to pass by 
them unmolested, although some of the men exhibited 



CROSSING THE EQUATOR. 185 

the impatience of the curbed hunter for the attack. 
Since our disaster, we have often been tantalized by such 
displays, but a mighty ocean rolls between us and our 
much wished for port, and the loss of some of our boats, 
might be the consequence, our only hope in case the 
ship should founder. We are now driving on before the 
south-east trade wind, under a press of sail. No one is 
sent aloft to look out for whales, and our best wish is to 
reach our distant port in safety. 

Wednesday^ April 29. An amusing incident occur- 
red this evening. One of the boatsteerers was walking 
near the tryworks, when a large flying fish in endeavor- 
ing to fly over the ship, struck him on the head near the 
ear. The violence of the blow was such, that he at first 
thought some one had struck him with his fist, an insult 
which called his irascibles into vigorous action. But 
seeing no one near him except the flying fish, he secured 
his floundering captive, and recovered satisfaction by 
cooking and eating him. 

This fish was of unusual size, and would probably 
measure from twelve to fifteen inches in length, having 
two sets of wings, the larger located similarly with those 
in other kinds, and the additional pair, which are much 
smaller, situated about midway between the tail and the 
other wings, giving to the fish two sets of propellers. 
We see immense numbers of flying fish every day, rising 
up on each side of the ship, as she dashes on over the 
sea. There is a great diversity in their size, from those 
of dimensions equal to the one mentioned above to those 
that look like insects skipping over the waves. 

Wednesday^ May 6. Sometime this morning, we 
crossed the equator, making the eighth time since leav- 
ing the United States. We are now bound for Oahu, 

16* 



186 TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 

one of the Sandwich Islands, although our first intention, 
after our disaster at the Galhpagos Islands, was to make 
a direct course for the Society Islands, so that by 
having land under our lee, we might run the ship ashore 
to prevent her foundering. One of the pumps has been 
kept in motion constantly, with the exception of short 
intervals. Day after day an enumeration has been 
made of the number of strokes of the pump, and it has 
been with no ordinary solicitude that the extra strokes 
of the pump denoting a daily increase, have been care- 
fully noted. To wake up at dead of night and hear the 
dismal clanking of the pump, and to feel that the in- 
creasing leaks may send you to the bottom, are sufficient 
to banish sleep, until anxiety has worked itself to rest. 

Friday^ May 15. After being becalmed for several 
days in lat. 7° north, or thereabouts, we took the north- 
east trade winds, which drive us rapidly on our course 
under double reefed topsails. For several days, we 
seemed to be in a region where the winds assembled 
from every point of the compass, and for many hours we 
had a fine breeze from the west, an unusual occurence 
at sea within the tropics. 

The trade windsj as I have before observed, are 
regular breezes within the tropics setting towards the 
equatorial regions, from north-east to south-west on the 
north side, and from south-east to north-west on the 
south side, although these courses are by no means 
invariable, but admit of several points deviation. The 
north-east trades usually cease in lat. 7° north, or 
thereabouts, and there is here a region of calms, rain, 
squalls, and water spouts, extending between the limits 
of the trade winds, i. e. for one or two degrees, as the 
south-east trades are commonly met with as soon as 
four degrees, north latitude, although the limits of this 



TRADE WINDS. 187 

belt are by no means constant. At that season of the 
year when the sun is jiorth of the equator, the south-east 
trades extend much farther to the northward of the Hne 
than when the sun has a southern declination, and the 
cahn region is removed to a more northerly position ; for 
the solar rays, that give origin to all atmospheric 
changes, being carried farther north during the summer 
season, the rarefaction of the atmosphere in the equato- 
rial regions, the cause of the trades, is removed farther 
north, and vice versa, when the sun is approaching his 
winter solstice. The greater extent of the south-east 
trades, their blowing across the equator and meeting the 
north-east trades far to the northward of the equator, are 
curious facts. It would be more natural to suppose that 
the region lying immediately under the equator would 
be the neutral ground between the winds. 

The north-east trades are more apt to be fresh and 
squally than the south-east, which are commonly very 
regular. For week after week the voyager is wafted along 
by the south-east trades, without altering a sail, inhal- 
ing a pure mild atmosphere, with a lovely sky overhead, 
and a deep blue tranquil ocean extending upon each side 
to the farthest bounds of the horizon, whose heaving 
waters speed him on his course. 

Saturday^ May 23. On Wednesday evening last, as 
the sun went down, the south-easternmost point of 
Hawaii was dimly seen rising like a shadow above the 
waves. On Thursday night, we ran down the passage 
between Molakai and Maui with the intention of stop- 
ping a day or two at Lahaina, a settlement on the latter 
Island, but as the weather was thick and squally, the 
attempt was deemed too hazardous. Yesterday morning 
we came to anchor off the harbor of Honolulu, the capital 



188 TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 

of the Sandwich Islands, in forty days after our disaster 
at the Galiapagos Islands, having sailed more than five 
thousand miles in a leaky ship, with the pumps going 
night and day. Though we arrived in safety at the port 
of our destination, yet the passage was not without 
great solicitude as may be readily imagined. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

SANDWICH ISLANDS. 

Seamen's chapel — Honolulu harbor — Fruits and vegetables — 
Appearance of the natives — Native dwellings — Police regu- 
lations — Fort — Governor Kekuanoa — Capt. Brown — For- 
eign residents — Horses and vehicles. 

Sunday^ May, 24. I attended church to-day, for the 
first time since leaving the United States ; and after 
being excluded from the privileges of the sanctuary for 
many months, while roving over the vast ocean, it was 
most welcome to me to unite in the exercises of religion 
with the people of God in these remote Isles of the sea. 
The services were held in the Seamen's chapel, a plain, 
two story edifice, painted white, surmounted by a cupola, 
from the top of which, the Bethel flag waves its wel- 
come to the shipping in the port. The basement is 
spacious, and is divided into several rooms, each of 
which is appropriated to some object of public utility. 
The discourse, delivered by Mr. Tinker, missionary from 
Kauai (Towi) was a very creditable performance. Judg- 
ing from appearances, the congregation was highly re- 
spectable, and the music, though simple, impressed me 
with emotions of pleasure such as the most studied har- 
mony would have failed to do. on ordinary occasions. 

Monday^ May 25. After one or two attempts to enter 



190 SANDWICH ISLANDS. 

the harbor, which were unsuccessful, owing to the strong 
breezes off the land, the ship was taken in this morning. 
The anchorage outside the harbor is upon a shelving 
bank which inclines at so great an angle, that a ship is 
hable to drag her anchor when the wind blows hard off 
the land. The depth of the water too, is very great, and 
ships have been blown to sea, from the anchorage, with 
seventy or eighty fathoms of chain out, with the pros- 
pect of two or three days hard labor before they return 
again. Before sun rise, there is usually a dead calm 
under the lee of the land, but soon after the sun has risen, 
the wind springs up, and increases until about noon, 
when it blows fresh, coming down in strong puffs from 
the mountains. Honolulu possesses a very fine harbor, 
and is the only one in these Islands where ships may lie 
in perfect safety, and undergo the repairs which may be 
necessary. It is formed by a coral reef extending across 
a recess in the Island of Oahu. Through an opening in 
this barrier, upon each side of which, the roaring surf 
beats incessantly, is the passage into the harbor of about 
a mile in length. 

We broke anchorage, about four o'clock, A. M., and 
ran into the mouth of the passage under sail, when all 
sails were run down, and a long line carried ashore to a 
party of natives, fifty or more, who were stationed upon 
the nearest point of land on the right hand side of the 
passage. Then with loud shouts, they dashed through 
the shallow water on the margin of the bay, and, with 
the ship moving steadily along up the passage, soon con- 
ducted her to her proper anchorage near the docks. It 
is due to whalers to say, that they are noted for their 
courtesy in proffering their boats and service to tow a ship 
into harbor, and in rendering other acts of civility of this 
nature. There v/as, however, but one whale ship in the 



HONOLULU HARBOR. 191 

harbor, which obliged us to employ natives, as I have 
described, otherwise, we should have been towed in by 
boats. At the head of the harbor, are several docks, the 
timbers of which that extend below the surface of the 
water, are always coppered, to defend them from the rav- 
ages of animalculee, which start into life in countless 
myriads in the tepid waters of the tropics. 

Negociations, for the repairs of the North America, 
have been made with Ladd <fc Co., an American mer- 
cantile house, standing among the first in importance for 
extent of business on these Islands. They furnish the 
most ample facilities for heaving the ship down, as well 
as commodious store-houses for the cargo, built of coral 
stone, an article obtained from the reefs in great abun- 
dance, and which is in frequent use as a building material. 
There is also another ship-yard close by, belonging to 
some ship carpenters, and provided with all the appara- 
tus necessary for heaving down and repairing a ship. I 
state these facts to give some idea of the importance of 
these Islands to the commerce of nations afloat in the 
north Pacific, an importance that can only be appre- 
ciated by those that are disabled in this remote region of 
the world. 

Honolulu stands upon a plain at the opening of the 
valley of Nuanu. running across the Island between 
high mountains, whose sterile peaks give but little indi- 
cation of the fertility of the lovely valleys at their base. 
There are several valleys upon the Island in a high state 
of culture, and rich in verdure and productions. The 
valley of Nuanu is the garden of Honolulu, exhibiting 
every variety of fruits and vegetables. These consist of 
delicious melons of several kinds, grapes, figs, pine 
apples, bananas, plantains, taro, yams, sugar-cane, po- 
tatoes, and the common culinary vegetables we have at 



192 SANDWICH ISLANDS. 

home. In their proper season, these are all brought 
into town and are either exposed for sale in the mar- 
kets, or carried around to the houses of the foreign 
residents. All articles of merchandise of this kind are 
transported in calibashes, large flat gourds, eighteen or 
twenty inches in diameter, fitted with a cover of the same 
material, and suspended in net work, attached to the ex- 
tremity of a pole, which the native balances across his 
shoulder, preserving the equilibrium by a corresponding 
calabash containing merchandise, or with admirable sa- 
gacity, substituting a large stone in preference to divid- 
ing his load. This, however, is not peculiar to the Ha- 
waiian Islands ; for in the "good old times" of New Am- 
sterdam, many an honest cultivator of the soil was seen 
riding to mill, with a bag of meal on one side of his 
horse counterbalanced by a large stone, while the poor 
animal went groaning under this most unphilosophical 
load. 

The sweet potato of these Islands is remarkably fine. 
Its external appearance is like those amorphous yams 
imported into the United States, from the West Indies, 
and it admits of every variety of color, from a dark 
purple, through the intermediate shades, to red. then to 
green or yellow. There are several groves of cocoa- 
nut trees on the beach. Though they shoot up to a great 
height, they are wanting in that vigor of growth and 
canopy of waving leaves exhibited by the cocoa-nut trees 
of Tacames. 

Honolulu contains about ten thousand inhabitants in 
the town and the immediate vicinity. The foreign resi- 
dents number not far from six hundred, and wear the 
European costume. The toilet of the natives, that is, 
of the masculine portion, is made in rather more of the 
primitive style than 1 had expected to see. But a small 



THE NATIVES. 193 

proportion are to be seen with a pair of pantaloons, 
except on Sundays and hoi yd ays. With but a maro 
around the waist, and perhaps with a ta^pa or mantle of 
native cloth, passing over the shoulder and knotted 
under the opposite arm, they walk off with as much 
dignity and consciousness of superiority as the more fa- 
vored •'' lords of creation" display. I have seen a fellow, 
in a sailor's heavy pea-jacket, which, when buttoned up 
to his chin, concealed but half his person, strutting 
through the street, in the broiling sun, at noon, too proud 
to look at any one ; and another, with a strange disre- 
gard of the rest of his person, with the exception of the 
arrangement of the maro^ was seen walking the streets 
with his feet inserted into a pair of enormous boots, and 
manifesting the utmost indifference to surroundingobjects. 
These incongruities are rather rare however, either from 
an inability of the natives to possess thenielves of these 
luxuries, or because they prefer the simplicity of nature. 
The native women are dressed in long gowns like th!e 
loose morning dresses of the ladies of our country. To in- 
crease their charms, of which, judging from appearances, 
nature has not been very profuse, many of them tie a 
gay shawl tightly around the waist, which gives them a 
rather ludicrous gait. With a bright yellow shawl 
around her waist, a wreath of brilliant feathers or flowers 
encircling her brow, and a huge comb towering up with 
masses of dark hair coiled around it, a Hawaiian lady is 
dressed a la mode. The houses of the common people 
are dingy looking cabins, the walls of which are con- 
structed of adobies, blocks of moulded clay hardened in 
the sun, and compacted by an admixture of grass. The 
roofs are of thatch, which however, is a very common 
covering for the outhouses of the foreign residents. The 
residences of the chiefs are in one or two instances very 

17 



194 SANDWICH ISLANDS. 

superior houses. There are now but few high chiefs of 
the nation, many of them having died within a few years. 
The authority of those now Uving is far less despotic 
than was the case in former times. A man's rank 
depends entirely upon the rank of his mother. If a 
woman of high rank marries a man of low rank, all her 
children will belong to the higher class : but if the case 
is reversed, the children will be of low rank. Marriage 
does not affect the rank of either party. Thus the Gov- 
ernor of Oahu owes his station to his marriage with one 
of the royal family. His rank, however, is that of an 
inferior chief, and as his wife is dead, he is liable to be 
deposed at any moment. The police regulations through- 
out these islands are very good. Until within a year, 
ardent spirits of all kinds were subject to so heavy a 
duty, as to be almost prohibited, but the exertions of the 
"highly enlightened and chivalrous" la belle France, 
urged on by the clamors of a few brandy loving foreign- 
ers, compelled these humble islanders to abrogate the 
oppressive duties on ardent spirits, and accommodate 
them to their convenience. A mode of determining the 
tariff prevalent no where else except where " might gives 
right." And these very men with an effrontery which 
is really admirable, arrogate to themselves an important 
place in the advancement of civilization and the arts of 
life at the Hawaiian Islands ! 

The laws for the restraint of licenciousness are very 
strict, the offenders being subject to imprisonment 
at hard labor in the fort. The constables, when on 
duty, carry a cane as the badge of office. While 
the cargo is landing from the North America, two 
or three of them are stationed about the wharf for its 
protection as well as for repressing the curiosity of the 
natives, that are not employed about the ship. The 



THE FORT. 195 

penitentiary system is adopted throughout these islands ; 
criminals being compelled to labor on the roads or in 
quarrying coral stone from the reefs, or in other public 
works. Near the head of the harbor stands the fort, a 
large area, nearly square, enclosed by a thick wall of 
coral stone, which is finished off with white plaster. En 
fassant^ the Hawaiian islands are not dependent upon 
foreign importations for the lime used in the construction 
of buildings ; the reefs afford an exhaustless supply of 
coral, a carbonate of lime, which when subjected to fire 
is converted into as good lime as that which we obtain 
from calcined shells. In the centre of the fort, rises the 
flagstaff, upon which the national flag, (the British 
Union, with alternate stripes of red and white,) is hoist- 
ed every time a ship arrives, as well as on the Sabbath 
and on fahmt days, when the common people are 
required to labor for the government. It was formerly 
customary for the chiefs to exact every thing they might 
choose from the canaille^ who were compelled to work 
almost every day to satisfy their oppressive demands. 
But now, the authority of the chiefs is less arbitrary, and 
these pahau or work days, do not recur so frequently. 

The other day, 1 made a visit to the fort. On the 
left hand side is a range of small buildings appropriated 
to Kekuanoa, the Governor, parallel to which runs the 
magazine, a stone vault ten or fifteen feet long. On the 
right hand side there is a row of small thatched houses, 
whose tops projecting a little above the ramparts, are 
pierced with grated openings intended as dungeon 
windows. These are the prisons of the island, although 
the impression upon a stranger of their use as a place of 
confinement would be rather vague. The Governor 
manages however, to hold his prisoners pretty safe, 



196 SANDWICH ISLANDS. 

and in most cases, finds work enough for them to 
dOj to keep them out of mischief. The armament 
of the fort consists of fifty or sixty iron guns, stationed 
upon every side of the ramparts. Between each 
of these, is a stone mound, of no possible use that I 
could discern, except perhaps, to tumble into a breach 
in the wall in case of an attack, for which they are 
admirably disposed. The guns on the sea side are 
twelve pounders I should judge, while those pointing 
towards the town are much smaller. In the centre of 
the line of guns pointing towards the sea, is a long brass 
piece embossed with a great variety of ornaments and 
inscribed with numerous Latin phrases, to construe 
which would puzzle the ingenuity of king Kauikeaouli 
and his chiefs. Previous to my going into the fort, 1 
had been told that no ceremony was expected of visiters, 
in going the rounds of the fortifications, and as there 
were no sentinels stationed at the gate, which was open, 
I walked in without any delay, and ascended the battle- 
ments for the purpose of taking a walk around them. 
Before 1 had proceeded very far however, a native came 
running across the area below, and in broken English 
enquires—" Have seen de Gov'nor ?"— " No, I have no 
particular desire to see him just at this moment." " Aole 
maikai ! (not good,) must see Gov'nor—'spose you no 
see, he tell you lawe aku, (go away.)" At this eloquent 
appeal which sounded much better to my ear than— 
<' Hullo Mister, what you doing here? You may just 
take your walking papers and be oif," with which a 
foreigner intruding unintentionally into a similar place 
in my own country, might have been saluted, I followed 
the Kanaka. His excellency received me very politely, 
and his salutation ''aloha'' was uttered with more 



THE FORT. 197 

dignity than the guttural intonations of the vulgar. But 
a cloud gathered upon his brow when he was told that I 
had the temerity to commence a review of his fortifica- 
tions without having obtained his permission. " Why 
you no come see Gov'nor?" demanded the Kanaka before 
mentioned, who acted as interpreter. " Because I was 
told that there was no necessity for that." " Who tell you 
that?" My authority was given, at which they both ex- 
claimed, " Aole maitai^^ in astonishment for the low es- 
timation in which their dignity was held by the foreign- 
ers. After conferring together for some time, I was 
asked if '• I did not see Governor when I went to see 
fort in other country ?" " No !" I answered, if the Gov- 
ernor does not wish any one to see his fort, he stations a 
man at the gate to keep every one away. If he does not do 
so, as you have not done, any man might come in and go out 
as he chose." While this answer was under discussion, 
1 had a good view of the Governor. He is a large, well- 
Ibrmed man, possessing that full developement of features 
which characterizes the natives in distinction from the 
foreigners, particularly Americans. His countenance 
gave me the impression of moroseness, but this expres- 
sion was owing to his feeling himself treated with dis- 
respect, by my unceremonious introduction. He is con- 
sidered as capable as any in the nation for the office he 
holds, and possesses great dignity of manner. After a 
good deal of meditation, he told me I might take a sur- 
vey of the fortifications if I pleased. They are all very 
anxious to adopt the customs of the most civilized nations. 
Capt. Brown, of the whale ship " Catharine," of Nan- 
tucket, arrived here the other day for the purpose of dis- 
charging one of his men who is dangerously sick with a 
pulmonary affection. In conversation with him, he 
gave me an account of a personal adventure among the 

11* 



198 SANDWICH ISLANDS. 

Marquesas Islands, which I relate, as it illustrates the 
treacherous character of the natives of many of the 
Polynesian Islands. Leaving Nookaheva bay in the 
Island of Nookaheva, he sailed around to the opposite 
side of the Island, for the purpose of trafficking with the 
natives that assembled in great numbers upon the beach, 
as his boat lay on the water, a few yards from the shore. 
The Tipaiis, the name of this tribe, are very ferocious, 
and to gratify their cannibal appetites, they are not very 
scrupulous in making choice of their victims. Capt. 
B., aware of their reputation for ferocity, disregarded all 
their solicitations to land, but made an agreement with 
them to supply his ship with a number of swine, which 
were to be brought down to the beach on the coming 
day. Accordingly, at the appointed time, these animals 
were exhibited upon the beach tied together, and eveiy 
appearance of good faith was observed to induce the 
captain to come on shore. For a long time he hesitated 
about entrusting himself within their power, until after 
assurances from a Spanish boy (who had accompanied 
him from the opposite side of the island,) that there 
would be no danger, he landed upon the beach. He 
was instantly seized by a party of natives, and hurried 
off to some distance from shore, while the swine were 
cut loose that the savages had collected together to decoy 
the captain within their reach. They now thronged 
around him with horrid yells of triumph, and clamor- 
ously demanded of him, as a ransom, forty musquets and 
six kegs of gunpowder. As he was unable to comply 
with their extravagant demands, a dreadful doom was 
prepared for him. With awful anticipations of his horrid 
fate, he saw them collecting together piles of dry wood, 
and digging holes in the ground, to be used as ovens for 
roasting him, upon the following morning; and it was 



CAPTAIN BROWN. 199 

with the agony of despair that he found himself sur- 
rounded at night upon every side by his merciless cap- 
tors. About midnight, however, he stole away from his 
sleeping guards, in company with the Spanish boy, and 
after wandering about among the mountains, he made 
his escape to the tribe to which the Spanish boy belonged, 
by whom he had been adopted, after running away from 
some vessel which had stopped at Nookaheva. Capt. B., 
soon regained his ship, when the crew were eager to 
take vengeance upon the savages for their treachery, but 
he wisely restrained them, believing that any thing of 
this kind would be retaliated upon the next ship that 
might visit them. The day after his escape, the Tipaiis 
challenged the friendly tribe to mortal conflict, upon their 
refusal to give up into their power the man who had fled 
to them for protection. A battle ensued between the 
tribes, in which two men were killed upon each side, 
and hostilities then ceased to allow the contending 
parties the luxury of feeding upon their respective 
prisoners. 

Honolulu, the capital of the Hawaiian Islands, is 
built upon a plain about a mile wide, washed by the sea 
on one side and terminated by high mountains that rise 
up abruptly in the rear of it. The town is laid out 
regularly in wide streets with adohie walls running 
parallel to them. All the enclosures here are made of 
this material, which when plastered with lime and white- 
washed, as is often the case, have a glaring effect con- 
trasting with the sombre walls and dwellings of the na- 
tives. The houses of the foreign residents are built in 
cottage style, with green verandahs or piazzas around 
them, while the adjacent grounds are tastefully laid out 
and planted with trees and shrubbery. Belonging to 
each, are several small outhouses in which the various 



200 SANDWICH ISLANDS. 

operations of domestic economy are conducted. The 
number of foreign residents is not far from six hundred 
as I observed before. Some of them live in good style 
with their houses adorned with elegant furniture, and 
command all the luxuries of foreign cities. It was 
with no small interest that I heard the notes of the 
piano forte, so many thousands of miles from my native 
land. There have been musical concerts got up at Hon- 
olulu, by amateur performers among the residents, the 
proceeds of which have been given to charitable objects ; 
and I have heard " a song for the oak, the brave old 
oak," '• Pensez a moi," and other well known airs, sung 
with as much spirit and taste as in my own country. 
The foreign residents are very hospitable, and the 
kindness with which I have been received is extremely 
gratifying. As far as I have been able to judge from 
observation, there appears to be a division of sentiment 
among them— those that favor, and those that have an an- 
tipathy to the protestant missionaries. If you are known 
to be a "missionary man," you will not be overburdened 
with attentions from their opponents and vice versa. 

I was much surprised when I was told that the 
beautiful cottages belonging to the foreign residents, 
were most of them built of adobies, and plastered with 
lime. These answer, however, very well as a building 
material, as they grow hard by age ; and as they are 
protected from the rain, which rarely falls, by the pro- 
jecting roof, they are sufficiently durable. There are 
also several large and handsome dwelling houses an4 
stores, built of coral stone cut from the reefs. 

The streets of Honolulu are hard and smooth, and a 
carriage rolls along without a stone to jar it. Carriages 
are rather rare articles of luxury here, and even these 
few have not a very modern aspect. The principle ve- 



HORSES AND VEHICLES. 201 

hides are little four wheeled waggons, about the size of 
those which are usually appendages tQ a nursery at 
home, in which, drawn by one or two kanakas^ a lady 
is seen riding in style through the streets, in going to 
church or making a fashionable call. The horses upon 
these islands, are imported from California, and riding 
horseback is a favorite amusement with all classes. 
There is a livery stable in one of the principal streets, 
where are exhibited an array of fine horses that many 
an equestrian might envy. The natives always gal- 
lop off at a John Gilpin pace without any regard to 
life or limb, either of themselves or of the poor animals 
they are goading to death. The women ride in the 
same style, though with a perfect indifference to side 
saddles^ in imitation of the Spanish ladies of the South 
American coast. 



CHAPTER Xiy. 

SANDWICH ISLANDS. 



Valley of Nuanu-Taro—Poi— Natives at work — Aqatic feats 
— An affecting incident — Native canoes — Commerce of the 
Hawaiian Islands — Moving a house — Treatment of a luna- 
tic — Native salutation — Chinese — Annoyances — Scorpions — 
Centipedes. 



The other day, I took a delightful walk in company 
with a friend up the valley of Nuanu, which, about a 
mile in width, opening in the rear of the town, extends 
entirely across the island. It is delightfully verdant, 
contrasting widely with the barren, sunburnt mountains 
whose craggy precipices tower up on each side of it, into 
the region of the clouds. A mountain streamlet de- 
scending to the sea, is diverted into a thousand little 
canals, which distribute its waters among the taro 
patches through which we threaded our way. These 
taro patches are small basins of a quadrilateral form, 
prepared with great care, into which the waters are 
directed to give sustenance to the jfaro, which requires 
constant irrigation. The taro^ is a bulbous root from 
twelve to fifteen inches in circumference, of an oval 
shape, having usually a purple tint, and puts forth several 
stalks terminating in a broad, arrowheaded leaf like that of 
the calla ethiopica. When raw^ itsjuices are extremely acrid 



VALLEY OF NUANU. 203 

and pungent, as if nettles had been introduced into the 
mouth ; but when cooked, it is of a highly nutricious 
character, hke that of the finest potato. With the 
natives, it is a sine qua non, in a much higher degree 
than the potato is to inhabitants of the Emerald Isle ; 
and a man's right and title to his taro patch is defended 
with the utmost determination. It is in fact, the only 
personal property of any value possessed by the ignohile 
vulgus. In converting the taro into use, the root is 
baked in the ground, until it becomes dry and mealy, 
when it is macerated by a smooth stone, with an ad- 
mixture of water, until it assumes the consistency of 
bookbinder's paste, and is then called poi. It is now set 
aside for twenty-four hours, when it becomes slightly 
acidulous, and is then considered as having attained the 
proper flavor. Then stretched out upon the ground, or 
adopting some other easy posture, the native with a dried 
fish in his left hand, prepares himself for his repast. 
Inserting the forefinger of the right hand into the mess, 
he turns it round and round until a mass of sufficient 
size adheres, when with the head thrown back, 
and mouth open, he introduces the jooi, with the 
utmost dexterity and sleight of hand. A piece of fish 
administered by the other hand succeeds, Tia rhna poi^ 
" the poi finger,^'' divested of its adhesive covering ; and 
thus, these processes are kept up alternately until the 
materials are exhausted. So extravagantly fond are the 
natives of their fish and poi^ that the most luxurious 
feast could not present superior charms to their eyes. 
Even the chiefs, after making a repast in the European 
style, are regularly served with a dish of pot, without 
which they would consider themselves as having fared 
very poorly. 

Farther up the valley, is the Pari of Nuanu, an 



204 SANDV/ICH ISLANDS. 

awful precipice in the mountains, celebrated in the 
history of the islands^ as the scene of the destruction of 
the King of Oahu with his followers, who were hurled 
down the abyss by the victorious army of Tamehameha 
the Great upon his invasion of Oahu. Just back of the 
town, is a mountain presenting a circular front, which 
has been fancifully named the "Punch bowl," from a 
peculiar aptitude possessed by English and Americans 
for giving awkward names to geographical points. It is 
terminated at the top in a spacious platform, down the 
sides of which are numerous angular columns. Above, 
a range of long iron guns, fourteen forty-tioo pounders^ 
which were stationed there at an immense labor, com- 
mands the town and harbor, and the fortification might 
be rendered impregnable. 

In the valley, are one or two country seats belonging 
to gentlemen residing in town. Towards one of these 
we directed our steps, as fast as possible, against the 
wind which was blowing almost a gale. It was one of 
the pahau days, and we fell in with a numerous body 
of kanakas or native men, engaged in erecting a wall 
of adobies. The majority of them however, appeared 
to have nothing to do but to vociferate one to another 
while indulging themselves in a favorite and exceedingly 
graceful posture, commonly called "squatting." This 
is a common attitude with the natives when unemployed, 
and I have seen long lines of them drawn up in the 
shade, continuing in this posture for hours. 

After spending a short time at the seat of a gentleman 
of our acquaintance, in looking over some recent num- 
bers of " the Knickerbocker," and of " the New York 
Mirror," we turned our steps towards a beautiful moun- 
tain streamlet, the waters of which tumbling down in 
many a lovely cascade through a narrow pass between 



AQUATIC FEATS. 205 

high hills, were received into a circular basin eight or 
ten yards in diameter, upon one side of which, a rock 
rose abruptly to the height of twenty or thirty feet. 
Here we had an interesting exhibition of the aquatic 
performances of some of the native boys. Several of 
them, not more than eight or nine years of age, ascended 
to the top of this rock, and Sam Patch like, leaped forward 
into the basin below, from which they soon emerged, 
and with loud shouts ran up to the top of the rock to 
resume their sport. 

The natives of these islands are almost amphibious, 
and they are to be seen playing for hours in the surf, 
apparently unconscious of any danger, although the 
attempt would be appalling to a foreigner. A feat in 
swimming, which was performed a few days since off 
these islands, would be received as incredible at home, 
although it can be proved on the very best of evidence, 
and is not doubted in the least at Honolulu. The day 
we arrived at Honolulu, intelligence had been received 
of a terrible catastrophe which occurred a day or two 
previous. A little schooner, the " Keola," of Honolulu, 
under the charge of natives, on her passage from one 
island to another of the group, with thirty or forty pas- 
sengers, foundered at a distance of twenty-jive miles 
from land, and out of this crowded vessel, but four ever 
returned to tell the tale of their disaster ; and these — 
incredible as it may seem — reached the shore by swim- 
ming I The particulars of this melancholy event are 
more fully mentioned in a letter from a missionary at 
Lahaina to the Rev. Mr. Thurston, and exhibit an 
affecting picture of conjugal tenderness and love, which 
shone pure and bright amid the gloomy horrors of that 
awful scene. The letter is in substance as follows — 

18 



206 THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 

Lahaina, May 21, 1840. 
Dear brother Thurston, 

As the Kinau ('^ Kenow") is soon expected to sail 
for Oahii (" Wawhoo"), 1 will write a few words. You 
have heard, I presume of the loss of the " Keola," as the 
report reached here just as Brother Green was embark- 
ing for Oahu. The same day that he sailed, the persons 
who escaped, arrived here and told us the sad particu- 
lars. You will be afflicted to learn that Mauae (AIovv- 
ah-ay) is among those who were lost. As his wife is 
among the saved, and as they both swam about twenty- 
five miles together before he expired, we have a full ac- 
count of him to the last. 

The following is a sketch of that melancholy occur- 
rence. The '' Keola" left Lahaina for Kawaihae (To- 
ay-hi. a settlement upon Hawaii) on Saturday evening. 
May 9th, in a leaky condition as was apparent to all on 
board. The next day the wind was strong, and, as we 
hear, the stone ballast rolled over to leeward. It was 
restored to its proper place, when two barrels of molas- 
ses and a cask of water, not well secured, were precipi- 
tated to leeward, in the rolling of the vessel. This was 
the immediate cause of the disaster, although this would 
not have been sufficient, were it not that the "Keola" 
had been aground five times since she was last examin- 
ed, and of course was entirely unfit for sea without re- 
pairing. The forward part of the schooner was engulf- 
ed so suddenly, that some who were in the hold were 
never extricated, but were carried down in the sinking 
vessel. 

The natives plunged into the ocean upon seeing that 
the loss of the vessel was inevitable, while Mauae, who 
had conducted prayers early in the morning, and engaged 
in religious worship with the people during the fore- 



AFFECTING INCIDENT. 207 

noon, though contending with the ocean waves, called 
the natives around him, and implored help from on high. 
Having asked the assistance of the Almighty at this 
awful moment, they looked about to see what they 
could do to aid themselves. A current was setting to 
the north, so that none thought of swimming for Hawaii. 
Mauae and his wife, providing themselves with buckets, 
which were covered over to exclude the water, com- 
menced swimming towards Kahoolawe, the nearest land 
to the northward of them. They were accompanied by 
three young men, who disappeared, one after the other, 
either b}?- drowning or going in diiferent directions. Sev- 
eral of their fellow passengers were in sight on the Sab- 
bath, but during the night they were lost sight of, and 
Mauae and his wife were left to pursue their watery way 
alone. On Monday morning, Kaluawahinui's bucket 
came to pieces, and she swam without anything until 
afternoon, when Mauae became too much exhausted to 
proceed, and they stopped, while he was lomi-lomi^ d* by 
his affectionate wife, which revived him so much that he 
was enabled to renew his exertions. 

They toiled on for some time longer until Kahoolawe 
was in full view before them, but Mauae began to sink 
under his extreme exhaustion. Kaluawahinui, then took 
his bucket, which was still uninjured, and with a heroic 
devotion that has never been surpassed, told him to grasp 
her long hair, which was trailing on the surface of the wa- 
ter, and in this way she assisted him for some distance. But 
his hand soon relaxed its grasp, and all her efforts to rouse 

• The process of lomulomi, consists in rubbing and kneading with the 
hands the person who subjects himself to the operation, and it is extremely 
reviving when one is fatigued. Upon an occasion, when exhausted with vio- 
knt exercise, I experienced its refreshing eiFects, and pronounce the lomi- 
lomi of the Hawaiian Islands unparalleled in its effects in restoring vigor to 
the frame, when wearied, 



208 THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 

him to exertion were vain. She told him he must pray 
to God for strength to assist him. He commenced, but 
could only utter a few sentences, and she then clasped 
his arms around her neck — held them with one hand, 
and under this unequal burden toiled on to\vards the 
shore. When yet within some distance of the shore, 
perceiving that Mauae was entirely dead, she left him 
and reached the Island about sunset, after being in the 
water over thirty hours. Faint with exhaustion, at a 
distance from any aid, and almost blinded by her long 
continuance in the sea, she wandered about in search of 
food for the three following days ; but in vain, and she 
must have perished miserably, were it not for the water 
she found standing in crevices of the rocks. On Friday 
morning, she found a number of water-melons, which 
relieved her sufferings ; soon after which, she was dis- 
covered by some fishermen and conducted to their village, 
whence she was brought to Lahaina. 

The canoes of the natives are little narrow structures, 
provided with an outrigger — two light sticks secured 
upon the gunnel of the canoe, and projecting from six 
to ten feet, where they are crossed by another stick — an 
arrangement which prevents their upsetting. In such 
frail structures, these daring navigators venture many 
miles out to sea, now paddling swiftly over the waves or 
stopping every few minutes to bail out the water which 
dashes into their humble craft. Whenever they set sail, 
they endeavor, if possible, to have the outrigger to wind- 
ward, so that by extending themselves upon it outside of 
the canoe, they may carry sail in safety. If the outrig- 
ger breaks, the canoe becomes unmanageable, and many 
instances have occurred of disastrous consequences re- 
sulting from this accident. I have seen none of the 
large war canoes of former times, and the largest that 



COMMERCE. 209 

have come under my notice would not hold more than 
fifteen or twenty men. 

A few years ago, there were several vessels belonging to 
the Hawaiian Government, manned by natives. Of 
these, the larger were wrecked or sold, and now there 
are only one or two schooners owned by the king or 
the chiefs. The king formerly owned a fine barque 
called the " Don duixote," now lying in the harbor. 
She was under the charge of a former sailing master of 
the American Navy, and was conducted in man of 
war style, carrying an armament of light guns. On 
account of the expense of keeping her in order, she was 
sold to Pierce and Brewer, merchants at Honolulu. The 
port of Honolulu is visited by almost all vessels fre- 
quenting the north Pacific, and in the spring and fall 
seasons, great numbers of whale ships, principally 
American, touch for recruits, which are supplied in 
abundance and of every variety. 

The value of goods imported into the Hawaiian 
Islands for the past year, probably exceeds three hun- 
dred and fifty thousand dollars. These imports consisted 
of cotton cloths, prints, chintz, hardware, copper, cordage, 
canvass, naval stores, flour, bread, wines and spirits, 
furniture, soap, iron, paint &c., all which were from the 
United States. From Mexico, the imports were princi- 
pally specie and bullion. From California were re- 
ceived sea otter skins, land furs, bullock hides, soap. 
Nankeens, blue cottons, teas, silks &c., were brought 
from China. From Tahiti and the southern islands 
were received turtle shell, oil, pearl, and pearl shell, 
sugar, (fcc. From the north west coast and Colombia 
River, the imports were lumber of various kinds, spars 
and salmon. From England, the imports were broad- 
cloths and other goods similar to those received from the 

18* 



210 THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 

United States. From Manilla, the manufactures of the 
United States, England and China were received, togeth- 
er with cigars, hats, cordage <fcc. 

The exports of native produce during this time, have 
amounted to not far from eighty thousand dollars. These 
consisted of sandal wood, bullock hides, salt, goat skins, 
arrow root, provisions of various kinds, ku-kui oil (a 
paint oil made from the candle nut,) sugar, molasses, and 
leaf tobacco. 

There are seven vessels owned at Honolulu by citi- 
zens of the United States — one barque, two brigs and 
four schooners ; and one ship, one barque and one brig 
belonging to citizens of England. The commercial 
statistics of these islands show, that nearly one half of 
the imports into the Hawaiian Islands, were from the 
United States ; and that the arrivals of American ships 
were more than double in number those from all other 
foreign countries. By far the greater proportion of the 
foreign residents are Americans, and the American 
interests are decidedly predominant throughout the 
Hawaiian Islands. 

The removal of a frame building through one of the 
streets of Honolulu was an interesting scene to me, from 
the novel mode in which it was conducted. The di- 
mensions of the building were, I should judge, twenty 
by twenty five feet. Across the lower timbers, strong 
poles were firmly lashed, and in the interstices between 
them, a dense throng of hanalias were crowded together. 
After a scene of loud vociferation from those within the 
building and the multitude assembled without, accompa- 
nied with the most eloquent gesticulations, three sono- 
rous cheers were given, and the building was lifted up 
upon the shoulders of those underneath, and carried 
steadily forward some distance before it was set down. 



TREATMENT OF A LUNATIC. 211 

The surrounding natives were all enthusiasm, breaking 
forth into loud and expressive exclamations of wonder 
and delight, as the towering pile was seen moving along 
with a complicated machinery of legs and feet plying 
underneath. It is indeed a rare thing to see a house 
taking a walk. The enterprise was attended with no 
small degree of danger, for if one of the party had 
stumbled down, serious consequences would have 
resulted ; or the building, when elevated upon the 
shoulders of the kanakas, might have fallen from its 
unstable position and crushed numbers of the crowd. 

While taking a walk through one of the most public 
places, my attention was arrested by a crowd of natives 
following with loud cries, a poor, forlorn boy, who 
wandered about bewildered by the din of the vociferous 
multitude that pressed upon him. Once or twice, he 
sat down upon the ground, but the throng compelled 
him to remove, and endeavor to escape from their vexa- 
tious clamors. As 1 stood wondering at the cause of the 
great delight manifested in torturing a creature appa- 
rently so harmless, a woman advanced to meet him, and 
touched noses with him as a token of recognition ; then 
clasping him in her arms, and sending forth a piteous 
cry, in which she was joined by the boy, she extricated 
him from the crowd and conducted him into an adjoining 
hut. Here they were received by a number of natives, 
who united in the lamentation, and continued it without 
cessation as long as I was within hearing. The boy, it 
appears, was deranged, which the natives attributed to 
some superstitious cause, and considered him as a legiti- 
mate subject for annoyance, seeming to take delight in 
the bewilderment and terrified actions of the poor lunatic. 
There seems to be a strong propensity in human nature 
to ridicule and annoy the unfortunate. Nor is it con- 



212 THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 

fined to a semibarbarous people ; for even in our own 
country, it is no rare sight, to see a crowd of noisy boys 
following after some poor, decrepid creature, assailing 
him with abusive language, or with missiles of various 
kinds, which his infirmities will not allow him to es- 
cape. We reprobate vices which we readily discover m 
others, but of whose existence among ourselves under a 
modified form, we are insensible. 

It is customary with the natives, whenever any one 
dies, for the relatives of the deceased to utter loud cries 
and wails incessantly, for several days in succession. In 
their notes of wo, the word auioe (" oway,") is uttered, 
with a protraction of the last syllable for a long time, 
accompanied with numerous doleful demisemiquavers. 
To wake up at dead of night, and listen to the solemn 
" a^^e-e-e-e," rising upon the stillness of that hour, is 
dismal indeed. When one of the royal family dies, the 
whole people burst forth into lamentations ; and as these 
cadences of wo, from every village swell upon the 
breeze, the effect is said to be almost overpowering. 
When friends meet after a long separation, they touch 
noses, and each party commences a low wail to testify 
his joy on the occasion. We also exhibit the same 
incongruities; for tears^ which are the emblems of 
sorrow with us, are also the overflowings of affectionate 

joy- 

Among the foreigners resident at Honolulu, are several 
Chinese, the singularity of whose costume cannot fail of 
attracting one's attention. It consists of a large frock 
with ample sleeves, reaching down about midway 
between the waist and the knee. For the lower dress, 
they wear a pair of pantaloons made very full, and these 
together with peaked shoes having thick, wooden soles, 
complete their costume. Their black hair is braided in 



CHINESE. 213 

a tail, a yard long, which usually hangs down the back 
and vibrates from side to side, like a pendulum, as they 
walk through the streets ; a loss of these tails, which 
many of them coil up around their heads, would be 
regarded as a great disgrace. The color of these Chinese 
is more sallow than that of Europeans ; their noses are 
rather flat, the eyes small, and the expression of the fea- 
tures dull, unlike the intelligence we expect to see indi- 
cated by the physiognomy of so ino^enious a people. 
There is a store here, under the direction of Chinamen, 
which is stocked with every variety of goods, partly 
Chinese and partly American. Chinese goods, such as 
silks, nankeens, (fee, can be purchased here in any quan- 
tity, and at a less price than is expended for corresponding 
articles in the United States. Almost all other articles are 
sold at a hundred per cent, on the original cost, and some 
even at a much higher rate than this. A Bakery has 
been established here by " Sam (fe Mow," bakers from 
Canton, where bread, cakes, and pies, are manufactured 
in every variety, and of excellent quality. Their adver- 
tisement contains a classical allusion in the last line, 
which will not be readily perceived, except by those 'vho 
are aware of the arrogance of the Celestial Empire. 

" Good people all come near and buy 
Of Sam and Mow good cake and pie, 
Bread hard or soft, for land or sea, 
' Celestial' made ; come buy of we." 

The three most unpleasant things about Honolulu, are 
the dust^ the innsketoes^ and the fleas. The first is pe- 
culiar to this Island, which, except in the valleys, is 
sterile, and the soil, a light clay, is easily converted into 
dust, and raised in clouds by the strong winds. The 
musketoes are foreign importations, I am told, having 



214 THE SANDWICH ISLANDS. 

been brought by some ship within a few years ; they 
are now common to all the Islands, and have become so 
numerous as to be a very great annoyance to all classes. 
To escape being devoured by them we are all obliged to 
sleep under canopies of gauze. As to the fleas, there is 
no escaping their tortures. They lie secreted in the 
matting of the floor, whence they sally forth to attack 
the feet and ankles of the occupant of the room, with malig- 
nant virulence, leaving dark, purple spots wherever they 
introduce their venom. They accompany one in his calls 
upon his friends, and while he is endeavoring to make him- 
self agreeable, they run around inside of his boot and set 
every nerve in his system on the qui vive. A gentle- 
man, the other day, told me, that he had frequently been 
deterred from making calls upon his friends by their an- 
noyance. I have myself been terribly bitten, and it ag- 
gravates the evil to be denied the sweets of revenge, for 
they are so nimble that it is almost impossible to catch 
them. 

There are also at Honolulu numbers of scorpions and 
centipedes, which have been introduced from the Spanish 
main. The other day, in taking a walk, I carried my 
umbrella with me, as the clouds gave some indications 
of rain. Upon returning, after an absence of an hour or 
more, I raised the umbrella during a shower which was 
passing over, and walked with it over me for some dis- 
tance, when, upon accidentally casting my eyes upwards, 
I was somewhat startled at seeing a scorpion crawling 
around very leisurely in the upper part of it, especially 
when I reflected that the umbrella had been carried 
loosely, and that my hand had slipped down the handle 
inside of it several times during my walk. He was not 
disturbed, however, until I reached my room, when 1 
destroyed his ability to do mischief by putting him into 



SCORPIONS — CENTIPEDES. 215 

a phial of alcohol, for preservation. The scorpion is of 
a grey color, and usually from three to four inches in 
length. He moves upon four pairs of legs, and 
has a pair of claws upon each side of his head for seizing 
his prey. His body is of an oval form about one third 
the entire length of the animal ; and extending from 
it, is his formidable tail consisting of numerous joints, 
of so flexible mechanism, that the tail can be instanta- 
neously directed to any part of the animal. Upon the 
end of the tail is the sting, an extremely sharp hook, 
which is darted into the offender with great rapidity. 
These reptiles have frequently been seen in the room I 
occupy, and I never put on an article of dress, without 
first examining it. The long voyage from the coast, is 
said to have impaired the virulence of their poison in 
some degree, so that a sting from one of them is not at- 
tended with fatal consequences, although it is extremely 
painful. 

The centipede^ is a long worm, about three inches in 
length, usually of a dark brown or black color, of a 
somewhat lighter shade on the lower side of his body. 
When provoked, he bites with a pair of scissor-like jaws, 
and injects the poison with his tail. The centipede, as 
his name implies, is provided with a vast number of feet, 
numbering in a specimen which I examined, not far from 
fifty. The poison of the centipede is by no means as viru- 
lent as that of the scorpion. I have seen one or two 
persons that had just been stung by this reptile ; but the 
pain they suffered was not much greater than one would 
experience from the sting of a hornet. 



CHAPTER XYIIl. 

EXCURSION TO HAWAII. 



Brig " Clementine" — Romish priests — Accommodations on board 
— Kailua — Governor Adai\is — Style of his house — Cavern — 
Natives playing in the surf — Native church — Manufactory 
— Lodgings — Escape from shipwreck — Shark catchers — To- 
WAiH/VE — Walk to Waimea — Spanish bullock hunters — Mr. 
Lyons, missionary — Bullock hunting — Fate of Mr. Douglas — 
Spanish saddle — Return to Honolulu. 



Saturday^ July 4. The great day of our National 
Independence has been commemorated at Honolulu 
with all the noise, and with much of the spirit, with 
which it is observed in our own land. At sunrise, the ap- 
propriate number of guns were fired from the fort, at the 
expense of the American foreign residents. All parties^ 
American, English and French, all lovers of good din- 
ners, embraced this opportunity for a holiday, and for 
amusements of every kind. A large party of most of the 
American residents met together in one of the beautiful 
valleys of this Island, to commemorate the illustrious 
deeds of their ancestors, and drink brandy and cham- 
pagne, and to do other patriotic things. The English 
residents had a dinner by themselves, rejoicing, no doubt, 
in an event which gave them so plausible a pretext for 
gratifying their national propensity for good dinners. 
The natives too, participated in the rejoicings of the day, 
and followed, in crowds, a cracked clarionet and two or 
three drums with as much enthusiasm, as one of our own 



217 

democratic throngs could in our country. My fourth of 
July dinner was enjoyed in a more quiet manner, in 
company with the United States Consul and two or three 
of the missionaries residing here ; and we spent the time 
far more pleasantly, and certainly more rationally, than 
if we were participating in the boisterous festivities of 
the other residents. 

This morning I arrived at Honolulu after an absence 
of about two weeks in an excursion to the island 
of Hawaii. Our party, consisting of two gentlemen 
of distinguished attainments, and myself, embarked 
in the "Clementine," a vessel owned here, on Tues- 
day morning, June 23d, where we were joined by a Mr. 
Grimes, a resident of Honolulu. The "Clementine," 
though considered much the best of the small vessels 
sailing out of this port, is one of those things of which 
it maybe said most decidedly that " familiarity breeds 
contempt." She is one of those vessels rigged in de- 
fiance of all symmetry, and very appropriately termed 
" Morferdites " (Hermaphrodites) by seamen. To do her 
justice, however, she is a pretty good sailer, and we soon 
ran out of the harbor into the open ocean, where as she 
rolled and tumbled about, one or two of the passengers 
were unable to restrain their rising emotions ; among 
whom I subscribe myself, not without some reluctance, 
however. There were two Roman Catholic priests on 
board, going to propagate their faith in the wild regions 
of Hawaii. One of these was an Irishman, educated in 
France, and fully versed in all the wily arguments and 
sophisms of that church. Many a warm argument en- 
sued between him and the other passengers, and it was 
very amusing to hear liow satisfactory (to himself) he 
resolved some of the absurd tenets of the Romish church. 
We pressed him very closel y u pon the doctrine of the Pope's 



218 EXCURSION TO HAWAII. 

infallibility. " No good Catholic," said he, " is obliged to 
beheve that the pope is infallible in all things. In the com- 
mon affairs of this life, in his private relations, he may err 
in judgment, like all other men ; but when he stands forth 
as the head of the church, holding the keys of St. Peter, 
to expound the doctrines of the church, then he is infal- 
lible." That is, in trivial matters, tlie pope may be 
subject to the frailty of all Adam's race, but in those 
solemn questions that involve the destiny of the soul, the 
most awful that ever agitate the human mind, he is 
endowed with infallibility ! By what process he had 
arrived at this definite view of the powers of the papal 
pontiff, we were unable to discover. 

Our cabin boasted of five or six state-rooms, the berths 
of which were fortunately unprovided with beds. I say 
fortunately^ as prudence would have prevented our 
making use of them, for reasons that may sugo:est them- 
selves to the reader, and we stretched ourselves upon 
the bare boards with no very cheering anticipations of 
repose. These rooms had been whitewashed ; so that 
when a man exhibited himself in the morning, he looked 
as if he had been sleeping in a flour barrel ! The most 
forward state rooms were separated from the hold by a 
frail partition of matting, which gaping open in several 
places, emitted an odor that savored very much of the 
stable, which is doubtless to be attributed to a horse 
confined there, whose sonorous nostrils every iew mo- 
ments, gave indubitable indications of his close proximity. 

After a passage of more than three days, during which 
we barely escaped being roasted by the intense heat of the 
sun, in a calm off the island Ranai, we cast anchor off Kai- 
lua, a little town upon the western coast of Hawaii. Here 
is the residence of Kuakini, or John Adams, Governor of 
Hawaii, one of the highest chiefs of the nation, and distin- 



GOVERNOR ADAMS. 219 

g-uished in the history of these islands for the favor he has 
always manifested towards the missionaries. Kailua is 
built close upon the beach, and has a very pretty appear- 
ance with its cocoa-nut trees waving over the Governor's 
house, and a few lioa trees scattered iiere and there. 
From the water's edge, the ground rises with a rapid 
ascent until it is lost to the eye in the clouds. 

Upon landing, we were received by Dr. Andrews, 
Physician to the missionary station at Kailua, who 
conducted us to his house; where we were cordially 
welcomed by Mrs. Andrews, and entertained with hospi- 
tality during our visit. After supper, we called upon 
Governor Adams, His house, which is one of the finest 
upon the islands, is situated close upon the beach, so 
that the rear of the yard is washed by the ever rolling 
billows of the ocean. A beautiful green sward, enclosed 
by a stone wall, presents a refreshing sight to the eye, 
while a grove of tall, slender cocoa-nut trees with their 
pendent branches rising from it, displays an elevation of 
taste such as we rarely expect to find around native 
residences. The house is a large two story stone build- 
ing, with a small portico projecting beyond the door, 
directly above which, in the second story, are three 
small gothic windows ; the other windows are like those 
that are fitted in our plain dwelling houses at home, 
which the house is itself intended to resemble. The 
roof is shingled and painted red, displaying upon the 
extremities of the ridge pole, two small chimnies placed 
there for ornament. In the rear of the house and ad- 
joining it, is a thatched shed, where the Governor is to 
be found on most occasions, and there are several houses 
upon the premises built in native style, but much larger 
than those we ordinarily see. 

His Excellency we found seated in his favorite place. 



220 EXCURSION TO HAWAII. 

He received us very cordially, making several enquiries 
of each one of us in the Eno'lish langruapfe, and lauofhinsr 
very heartily every few minutes. Kuakini is the most 
corpulent man 1 ever saw, and in this respect, indicates 
that he is to be classed among the chiefs of the old 
school, with whom obesity was always indicative of 
high rank. On one account, this is an admirable method 
of exhibiting the distinguished in a nation, as the insig- 
nia of their exalted rank are inseparable from their 
persons. As to the Governor, his walk would remind 
one of Homer's ^'' earth- qiiaking'''' heroes, if he had the 
power of locomotion, but unfortunately, he has for a long 
time been laboring under a weakness of the kness which 
forbids his moving about except with the aid of crutches. 
No wonder that his nether limbs should have found 
themselves incompetent to sustain so immense a structure. 
The expression of his features is good humored, though 
I am told, that his humor is rather capricious. Those 
■who are acquainted with him, are very politic in their 
approaches to him for any favors. When they see him 
winking his eyes with great rapidity and frequency, and 
laughing heartily at everything that is said, they know 
that nothing will be refused them ; but when he shrugs 
up his shoulders and draws down his eyebrows, they 
are fully convinced that an application for any favors 
would be useless. 

Upon the Governor's invitation, we examined the 
various rooms of his house. The main door opens into 
a large hall upon each side of which are spacious rooms 
finished off in good style. From the hall you ascend by 
a flight of steps defended by a balustrade into the second 
story, which is also finished off in the same manner 
The doors a»d the other wood work are made of koa 
wood, which unites the elegance of the curled maple and 



governor's house. 221 

the black walnut. In the hall is a large centre table, 
which is decidedly the most beautiful article of the kind 
I ever saw. It is veneered with Jcq wood arrangfed in 
sectors of a circle, a variety resembling rose wood, but 
more beautiful and susceptible of a higher polish. From 
the centre of the table upon each of these sectors, the 
wood is ingeniously arranged in the radii of a circle, two 
feet in diameter, perhaps, formed of the knots of the tree 
of equal size, and very symmetrical. This table, together 
with that belonging to the king, which is said to be 
somewhat inferior to the one I have described, are the 
only specimens of the kind upon the island. They were 
made by a German carpenter at Honolulu, a very skilful 
artizan in all kinds of cabinet work. We were very 
profuse in our compliments, with which the Governor 
appeared to be highly gratified, and manifested his 
pleasure by laughing very loudly at every exclamation 
we uttered. Our principal object in visiting his Excel- 
lency, was to obtain his assistance on our excursion to 
the volcano. His love of money refused to do homage 
to a scientific expedition, and in talking over our proposed 
route, he was so liberal as to offer to forward us in a 
canoe to a place thirty or forty miles distant, for the 
slight consideration of tioenty-Jive dollars, whereas we 
knew that any of the natives might easily have been 
engaged for eight or ten dollars. 

The next day we visited a cavern, the mouth of which 
opened close by the house of Mr. Thurston, the mission- 
ary of this station. The entrance is very low, so that 
you are obliged to proceed in a stooping posture for some 
distance, until you arrive in a spacious chamber, which 
also communicates with several in succession, until the 
cavern terminates in a pool of limpid water, so clear 
that some of the party walked into it without being 

19* 



222 EXCURSION TO HAWAII. 

aware of its proximity. We explored the cavern by the 
blaze of torches made out of the ku-kni, or candle nut, 
strung upon slender twigs. The height of the loftiest 
chamber was about twenty-five feet, and its breadth ten feet, 
perhaps, and the entire length of the cavern about one 
thousand three hundred feet. Upon the rocks was a soft 
white incrustation in many places, looking very much 
like lime which has been violently acted upon by fire. 
The rocks overhead, seemed at some former time, to 
have been in a state of fusion, for the surface of them was 
very uneven, owing to the stalactitical form assumed by 
the molten material. We all dipped ourselves into the 
pool at the extremity of the cavern. The water was 
very cool, and was somewhat saline to the taste, which 
taker, in connection with the fact that it rises and falls 
with ihe tide, proves that it has some communication 
with the sea. Upon emerging from the cavern, we 
walked along in the direction it pursued under ground, 
until at a distance from the mouth of the cavern where 
we supposed it to terminate, we came across a circular 
excavation, five or six feet in diameter, and ten or fifteen 
feet deep, which was to be continued until a passage was 
made into the chamber containing the pool of water 
referred to above. This labor was in progress of execu- 
tion at the command of Governor Kuakini, to give 
him an opportunity of visiting this cavern, an object of 
interest to all strangers, but which his obesity had for- 
bidden his having access to through the ordinary passage. 
After witnessing this striking instance of the zeal of 
Governor Kuakini for scientific objects, I took a stroll 
down to the sea shore, where a party of natives were play- 
ing in the surf, which was thundering upon the beach. 
Each of them had a surf board, a smooth, flat board 
from six to eight feet long, by twelve to fifteen inches 



THE CHURCH. 223 

broad. Upon these, they plunged forward into the surf, 
diving under a roller as it broke in foam over them, until 
they arrived where the rollers were formed, a quarter of 
a mile from shore perhaps, when watching a favorable 
opportunity, they rose upon some huge breaker, and 
balancing themselves, either by kneeling upon their 
boards or extending themselves full length, they dashed 
impetuously towards the shore, guiding themselves with 
admirable skill and apparent unconsciousness of danger, 
in their lightning-like courses, while the bursting combers 
broke upon each side of them, with a deafening noise. 
In this way, they amuse themselves hour after hour, in 
sports which have too terrific an aspect for a foreigner to 
attempt, but which are admirably adapted to the almost 
amphibious character of the natives. 

Towards evening. Dr. Andrews gave us an invitation 
to accompany him to the church — which is one of the 
best native places of worship on the islands, and its 
excellence is to be attributed totheliberality of Governor 
Adams. It is built of dark grey compact lava, with a 
modest little cupola rising above its shingled roof, in 
which there is a bell to summon the people to worship 
upon proper occasions. A row of glass windows above 
and below, gives to the building an appearance which 
would not be discreditable to many of our beautiful 
villages in New England. A congregation of two or 
three thousand assemble here for worship, and in addition 
to the benches in the body of the church, there are 
accommodations provided in a large gallery extending 
around on the sides of the building, and supported by 
slender columns painted blue. The pulpit is constructed 
of elegant koa wood, as also the pannellingof the gallery. 
At the completion of this place of worship, I have been 
told. Governor Kuakini gave imperative commands that 



224 EXCURSION TO HAWAII. 

at the expiration of a month, no woman should be 
admitted inside of the church who did not make her 
appearance in a neat gown, with a decent bonnet upon 
her head. His mandate was very generally complied 
with, I believe, as the fair sex have never been known 
to be dilatory in adopting the latest fashions. 

From the church, we directed our steps to the cotton 
manufactory belonging to the Governor. The cotton 
plant thrives, with but little or no trouble, upon all these 
islands. A plain grass house, forty or fifty feet long, 
overshadowed by the cocoa-nut tree and the pandanus 
constitute the manufactory. No cotton gin has as 
yet made its appearance in the Hawaiian Islands, and the 
seeds are extricated from the cotton by the tedious 
process of picking them out by hand. The wheels 
and looms are of native workmanship, and the products 
of the manufactory were of a superior quality. I say, 
were^ for the manufactory is not now in operation, and 
the place gives but very little evidence of the purpose to 
which it was applied, except one or two knots of yarn 
hanging up on a post, hanks of cotton scattered here and 
there, one or two wheels and a loom or two. The 
discontinuance of the manufactory, is to last, I was told, 
until some machinery which the Governor has ordered, 
arrives from the United States. One or two specimens 
of its performance while in operation, were exhibited to 
us ; they were similar to the coarse, chequered fabrics 
that are issued from our manufactories at home. After 
supper, we made preparations for returning to the brig. 
The plan we had at first adopted, was to go around the 
south-western part of the island in a canoe, and disem- 
bark upon the coast as near as possible to the volcano. 
This route would be the most eligible, were it perfectly 
safe; but the navigation around the southern point of 



K A I L U A . 225 

the island in so frail a structure, would have been a very- 
hazardous enterprise. 

I have not yet mentioned the manner in which we 
passed the night at Kailua. Mrs. Thurston very kindly 
proffered the hospitality of her house to us for the night. 
Grimes and I, accordingly, accepted her invitation, and 
made our way thither during the evening, over the 
sharp fragments of lava that strewed the path to her 
house. We were ushered into a room on the south or 
west side of the house, which had been closed up tight 
during the absence of the family at Honolulu, that is, for 
more than a month. From the state of the atmosphere 
in the room, one would have supposed that the chamber 
had not been aired since the house was built ; and from 
its situation on the south side of the house, exposed to 
the intense glare of the sun from day to day, the heat 
was intolerable, as we had ample proof, for there we 
were, now on the bed and now on the floor, burning and 
rolling and tossing about all night long. Grimes' counte- 
nance looking as if he had just had a dive into the 
Stygean Lake, which supposition, the streams of perspi- 
ration running down his red hot phiz, amply justified. 
As to myself, my experience was such, that I consoled 
myself afterwards with the reflection, that if I had not 
seen the lurid rolling fires of the crater of Mauna Roa, I 
had undoubtedly been in their immediate vicinity. No 
reflections upon Mrs. Thurston's hospitality ; she did all 
she could to reduce the temperature of the room, but to 
no purpose. Grimes and I however, arrived at this 
decided conclusion, that exotics do not always thrive the 
best in hot beds. About eight o'clock, P. M., we were 
again upon the deck of the Clementine, and Mrs. Thurs- 
ton and her son were still our compagnions du voyage. 
Mrs. T., had taken the trip to Hawaii, for the removal 



226 EXCURSION TO HAWAII. 

of all her furniture and household utensils to Honolulu, 
in the prospect of a voyage with her family to the 
United States. Her departure from a people to whom 
she had been ardently devoted for so many years, was a 
very affecting scene. Upon her first arrival at Kailua, 
the poor natives followed her in crowds wherever she 
went, displaying the strongest affection for her, and the 
most sincere grief at her removal from them. They 
eagerly assisted in conveying her effects down to the 
shore, and when she was lifted into the boat to go on 
board the brig, many of them waded into the water to 
testify their affection, and a wail of sorrow followed the 
boat until she was along: side the brig". 

After waiting for some time for the land breeze to 
come off, it was thought prudent to get under way with 
the light sea breeze that still lingered, and endeavor to 
beat out of the recess in the land where we lay at anchor, 
as a bank of black clouds was piling up in threatening 
array to seaward of us. The anchorage at Kailua is not 
good, and but a moderate blow might have dashed us 
ashore among the breakers. All sail was made upon the 
brig, and with her royal out, we shot forward under the 
now freshening breeze, towards a ledge of frowning 
rocks, that run out into the sea on the right hand side of 
the bay. One of the natives, well acquainted with the 
place was stationed in the bow — " starboard your helm — 
luff all you can," shouted our pilot, as our little craft 
was moving rapidly towards the surf-beaten rocks, and 
was now close up with them. " Starboard — starboard a 
leetle !" And starboard it was, until the sails were 
shiverinor in the wind. " Must we o^o about ? tell us for 

sake," demanded the captain in a voice tremulous 

with excitement, as he cast an anxious eye towards the 
angry clouds to windward of us, and then to the black 



SHARK CATCHERS. 227 

rocks close under our lee bow. There was a moment's 
pause, and I grasped the rail and braced myself to await 
the shock of our striking upon the rocks, which were 
now frightfully near us — not more distant apparently, 
than three or four rods, and we were beginning to feel 
the heaving motion of the surf which seemed ready to 
embrace us in its resistless folds. '• Ready about," 
shouted our pilot. "Hard a lee," instantly responded 
the captain, and the little craft wheeling around, after a 
slight struggle with the rollers, made headway and ran 
forward in the opposite direction. The danger was now 
over for the most part, and I drew a long breath, thank- 
ful for this my second narrow escape from shipwreck. 
The clouds that appeared so threatening, expended 
themselves in rain, and the night passed away without 
any farther alarm. 

One of the passengers had been a resident upon Hawaii 
for a number of years, and being very communicative, 
he gave me a variety of information respecting the former 
customs of the people. The natives of these islands 
subsist almost entirely upon poi and fish, which they 
prefer to any kind of flesh. The capture of a shark, or 
of any large fish, is regarded as a great achievement, and 
is attended with great rejoicing. In former times, shark 
catching was often accompanied with the most revolting 
cruelty. The shark catchers were in the habit of way- 
laying those who had unfortunately wandered out of the 
reach of assistance, and despatching them secreted their 
victims until putrefaction had commenced. Then pack- 
ing away parts of the body in wicker work, when the 
process of decomposition had sufliciently advanced, they 
started forth in their canoes, with the baskets of corrup- 
tion towing after them. The sharks soon followed the 
scent, and became so enchanted with the taste of this 



228 EXCURSION TO HAWAII. 

hellish J .eparation, as to allow a noose to be slipped over 
them wiiliout any difficulty. 

In the afternoon we came to anchor off Towaihae, a 
small settlement of a few houses upon the beach, about 
sixty miles to the northward of Kailua. The only 
building of any importanccj is the stone store belonging 
to Mr. French of Honolulu, which is the depot of all 
goods shipped from this part of the island, as well as for 
goods destined for the interior. Immediately back of the 
village, there is a constant rise of the land, and the lofty 
summits of Alauna Kea and of other misty peaks are 
seen rising in gloomy grandeur at the distance of twenty 
or thirty miles. The principal object that strikes the eye 
is a high mound or tnorai^ upon the left hand side of the 
village, erected upon the first line of hills back of the 
settlement. It was built by Tamehameha the Great, and 
consists of a huge pile of stones arranged in a quadrilate- 
ral form, measuring, I was told, one hundred and fifty 
two feet in leno:th, and sixty in breadth.* Upon the top 
of it, overlooking the vast expanse of the ocean, the 
priests, in the former days of idolatry, were accustomed 
to mimolate human victims to the gods of the sea. 

The first thing we attended to, upon landing, was to 
make immediate preparations for a walk to Waimea, a 
settlement among the mountains about fifteen miles from 
the coast. The impossibility of procuring any accom- 
modations for the night obliged us to set off on the Sab- 
bath, much against our wishes. A couple of natives 
were engaged by my comrades to transport their bag- 
gage, although it had been expressly told me that it was 
to be left behind, and forwarded the next day. When I 

* Ellis, in his " Polynesian Researches,'' gives much greater dimensions 
to this pile than those I have ascribed to it. He makes the length two 
hundred and twenty four feet, and width one hundred feet. 



WALK TO WAIMEA. 229 

requested a delay of a few minutes, until a native could 
be engaged by me, I was answered, by two of the party 
setting off without me, which compelled me to seize one 
or two necessary articles and hurry along after them. It 
was most intolerably hot ; the sun was blazing down in 
all his intensity, while scarcely a breath of wind mitiga- 
ted his ardor. In addition to this, contrary to my 
repeated suggestions, the party were so impatient to 
proceed that they did not provide themselves with any 
water, and were it not for a pine apple we had with us, 
I should have suffered extremely from thirst. For the 
first eight miles, the heat was very oppressive, and a 
thick woolen jacket together with a heavy pea-jacket 
strapped to my back, by no means contributed to my 
comfort. About nine miles from Towaihae, a cold rain 
came driving down from the mountains, and instantly 
checked the perspiration that was flowing from me in 
streams, so that before I had walked more than a mile 
or two farther, I was seized with violent rheumatic 
pains, and the rest of the journey was performed with 
very great difficulty and pain. My companions treated 
me with any thing but civility in my disabled state, and 
pushed forward, not even looking behind to see how I 
got along, until they were quite out of sight. I overtook 
them on the bank of a mountain streamlet which was 
swollen by the rain, just as two of the party had succeed- 
ed in fording it higher up the stream. The other who 
understood the native language perfectly, had made on 
agreement v/ith a native to take him across upon his 
back, but when he was over on the other side he ran on 
to come up with the other gentlemen, without stopping 
a moment to consider that I stood in some need of his 
services as interpreter, to assist me in gettipg across the 
stream. After standing some time upon the bank at a 

20 



230 EXCURSION TO HAWAII. 

loss what to do, a kind hearted native, one of the baggage 
carriers came along, and volunteered his assistance to 
help me over. Grimes had the kindness to wait for me 
until I came up, and his company encouraged me to 
hurry forward with more rapidity in the rain and gloom ; 
for it was now growing dark, and I had been revolving 
in my mind how I should spend the night in the native 
huts which were scattered along the road, as the severe 
pain I experienced seemed to forbid any farther exertion. 
About eight o'clock, we came up with a collection of 
thatched houses, towards the principal one of which we 
directed our steps, which was a store belonging to Mr. 
French of Honolulu. Here a novel scene presented 
itself to us. In front of the door, a bright fire was 
blazing in a cavity in the earthern floor, displaying in 
strong light the dark features of the natives congregated 
around it in their grotesque attitudes. Immediately 
back of these, a group of fine looking men, in a pecu- 
liar costume, were leaning against the counter of the 
store. Some of them were Spaniards from California, 
and they were all attired in the poncho^ an oblong 
blanket of various brilliant colors, having a hole in the 
middle through which the head is thrust. The panta- 
loons are open from the knee downwards on the outside, 
with a row of dashing gilt buttons along the outside 
seam. A pair of boots armed with prodigiously long 
spurs completed their costume. They were bullock 
hunters^ employed in capturing the wild bullocks that 
roam the mountains, and had just returned from an 
expedition of eight or ten days, in which they had been 
very successful. 

After a delicious cup of tea and some excellent beef 
steaks, we adjourned to our place for spending the night, 
about three quarters of a mile distant. Grimes took it 



RETURN TO HONOLULU. 231 

upon himself to be the pilot, but after stumbling about 
among the bogs, and being exposed to a cold wind and 
rain for more than half an hour, we were obliged to return 
and get a native lor our guide. Our bed consisted of 
layers of thick mats, upon which the usual bedding was 
spread out. The beds of the natives are nothing more 
than several large mats laid one upon the other, making 
a slight elevation above the floor, as in the present 
instance. The chiefs, not unfrequently, take fifteen or 
twenty of these mats for a bed, the area of which is 
sometimes ten or twelve feet square. 

The next day, Mr. Lyons, missionary at Waimea, 
called upon me and invited me to his house, a very 
pretty frame building. Not far off is the church, a long 
grass house situated in the midst of half a dozen native 
houses. During our conversation, Mr. Lyons told me 
that the population of Hawaii is not far from forty-five 
thousand, of whom about twelve thousand are members 
of the church. The number of churches upon all these 
islands is not far from eia^hteen or nineteen. The num- 
ber of persons admitted into the church since the estab- 
lishment of the mission is about twenty-one thousand 
three hundred. Of these there are about eighteen thou- 
sand four hundred still alive, and in good standing. 
During the year ending June eighteen hundred and 
forty, there were four thousand one hundred and seventy 
nine admitted into the church. There were two hun- 
dred and thirty seven excommunicated during the year. 
Of these, one hundred and thirty-six were restored, 
leaving one hundred and one, who are still excluded. 
It is to be supposed that a large proportion of those that 
are at present exclnded from communion will return 
with penitence, and be restored to the fellowship of the 
church. The standard of discipline is high, and persons 



232 EXCURSION TO HAWAII. 

are excommunicated for acts which would hardly be 
considered obnoxious to church discipline in our own 
country. The natives of these islands as well as of 
many of the Pacific Islands are very much addicted to 
smoking tobacco. All of both sexes, carry pipes with 
short stems, and a tinder box for kindling a fire at any 
moment, which comes into requisition at almost every 
hour of the day and night. Even at night they awake 
from their slumbers, and kindling a spark in theia: 
tobacco pipes, take three or four whiffs, which are blown 
down through the nostrils, then put up their pipes and 
consign themselves to sleep again. Some of the mis- 
sionaries thinking this excessive use of tobacco to be 
an immorality, take particular cognizance of it in ad- 
mitting persons into iheir churches. The feather and 
flower leis which are also obnoxious to some of the 
missionaries, are brilliant garlands of gay feathers and 
flowers, with which, many of the native women enrich 
the head and neck, and are very tasteful and pretty or- 
naments in my opinion, for which they ought to be com- 
mended rather than censured, 

Tuesday^ June 29. This morning, the party started 
for the volcano. They employed eight or ten natives to 
transport their baggage and provisions, which consisted 
of jerked beef, and foi prepared in the solid form. 
They had a good deal of difficulty in procuring horses 
but after a scene of noisy bargaining with the natives 
and other vexations to which travellers are subject, they 
started in grand style, the natives moving on in their 
peculiar dog-trot, and the cavaliers bringing up the rear. 
I was too far disabled, to think of accompanying them, and 
it was a bitter disappointment to me to be obliged to 
ubandon an expedition, after having advanced so far, 
which I had looked forward to with such high expectation* 



BULLOCK HUNTING. 233 

After the party had left, I accompanied Mr. French 
on a walk to a place about two miles distant, where the 
business of tanning- is carried on under the direction of 
Chinamen. The establishment is extensive, and the 
leather exhibited to me was of very superior quality as 
far as I was capable of judging. Besides a saddle 
maker close by the tan works, Mr. French has a shoe- 
maker and carpenter in his employ. 

Our principal object in taking the walk was to witness 
the marking of a lot of cattle, that had been driven down 
from the mountains, not long since. Great numbers of 
wild bullocks are caught in the mountains every year 
by the hunters. The lasso^ the principal instrument in 
their capture, is made of braided thongs, upon one end 
of which is a ring forming a slip noose, which is thrown 
with astonishing precision around any part of the animal. 
Even while at full gallop in pursuit, the hunter grasps 
his lasso, and giving it two or three twirls around his 
head with the right hand, throws it unerringly and 
entangles his victim by the horns or limbs. And now, 
be wary for thy life bold hunter ; for the savage animal 
is maddened with terror. See, he turns upon hjs pursuer, 
with eye-balls glaring with fire and his frame quivering 
with rage. But the well trained horse springs one side^ 
and braces himself, while the unwieldy animal plunges 
forward, but is suddenly brought up by the lasso, and 
falls with a heavy momentum on the ground. Again 
he rises, and tears the ground with his hoofs, and loudly 
roars; then doubly furious, comes down upon his pursu- 
er, but is again avoided and again dashed upon the 
ground. Exhausted by repeated shocks like these, his 
fury is subdued and he allows himself to be secured to a 
tame bullock, which soon removes all his ferocity. 

The bullocks of the mountains were till within a year 

20» 



234 EXCURSION TO HAWAII. 

or two, very numerous and savage, so that travelling 
among the mountains was attended with great danger. 
For their capture, a mode frequently resorted to by the 
hunters, was to dig deep pits, and cover them over with 
underbrush and dirt. A very melancholy casualty 
occurred three or four years since among the mountains. 
A gentleman named Douglass, of distinguished attain- 
ments as a naturalist, was engaged in a scientific expedi- 
tion to the volcano. He had nearly accomplished the 
objects of his excursion, when he met with an awful 
fate. As he was leaving an encampment where he had 
spent the night, he was particularly cautioned respecting 
three bullock pits that lay along the path he was expect- 
ing to take. He mistook the directions given him, it is 
presumed, for the first that was seen of him afterwards, 
was when he was discovered by some natives, in one of 
the bullock pits under the feet of a savage bull, who 
was trampling upon him and goring him in the most 
terrrific manner ! The bull was very soon killed, and the 
mangled body of the unfortunate naturalist drawn out, 
but life had long since become extinct. 

The Spanish saddle is of very different construction 
from the saddles of our country in general use, and to 
myself, is far preferable. It rises very high before and 
behind, rendering it much easier for the rider, especially 
in ascending or descending hills. The pommel is sur- 
mounted by a large flat knot, termed the " loggerhead," 
from which the lasso of the hunter depends. A pair of 
large wooden stirrups with a broad piece of leather 
before each, to protect the feet in traversing a region 
where the bushes grow thickly together, are also pecu- 
liarities of the Spanish saddle. Their horses are governed 
with powerful bits, such as would be intolerable to our 
horses, and are allowed free rein, which seemed very 



SPANISH SADDLE 



235 



strange to me who had always been accustomed to see 
the equestrian exhausting the strength of his arms to 
keep his horse from stumbhng. With us, a pull upon 
either rein teaches the horse which way we would have 
him go, whereas with the Spanish horse, the reins are 
gently pressed against that side of the neck in the direc- 
tion in which he is to turn. The bullocks to be marked 
were driven into a pen towards which we directed our 
steps. They were noble animals, and had been tamed 
by tying them singly with tame cattle for a time. 1 had 
here some slight exhibition of the skill with which the 
lasso is thrown. One of the bullocks was selected from 
the herd, and in an instant the lasso was firmly en- 
tangled around his horns or legs, and he was thrown 
down and pinioned. The burning brand was then ap- 
phed, and after sundry bellowings and other indications 
of disapprobation, the poor animal was released. There 
were not far from forty bullocks marked on this occa- 
sion, intended for the "Clementine," in her trip down to 
Honolulu, fellow-passengers of your humble servant. 
They are there put into pasture, to be fattened for 
the supply of ships visiting Honolulu in the fcill season. 
About nine o'clock in the evening, 1 set off for my 
lodgings with a young man who carried a lantern to 
pilot me. A narrow foot-path leads off from the road 
which conducts over a brook between Mr. French's 
store, and the place where I lodged. Unfortunately, we 
could not find this path, and before long we plunged 
into the water up to our knees. The night was dark, 
and a drizzling mist almost blinded us ; but after floun- 
dering about for a long time, we made our way back to 
the store, which we reached after much difiiculty, almost 
exhausted with our fruitless efforts. Waimea is about 
3,000 feet in. elevation above the sea, and is constantly 



236 EXCURSION TO HAWAII. 

swept by the mountain winds and rains. Although it is 
nearly midsummer, yet the air is so cool that an overcoat 
is not unacceptable at any time. On Thursday morning, 
July 2d, I rode down to Towaihae in company with Mr. 
French, and in the afternoon went on board the 
" Clementine." The brig had upon deck forty head of 
bullocks, ranged closely together, with their heads turned 
inwards. They were tied down by the horns to a strong 
framework of spars, so that there was no danger of their 
getting loose. For more than four hours we were ex- 
posed to the most intense heat of the declining sun, 
without a breath of wind, but about eight o'clock in the 
evening, as there were some indications of a breeze off 
the land, we got under way and stood off under our 
topsail. Suddenly we heard the momukii^ coming down 
the mountains and murmuring over the waters, but we 
anticipated its coming, and when it struck us, the top- 
sail yard had been settled down snugly upon the cap, 
and we drove before it without a sail being spread until 
it expended itself in a few minutes. As we drew into 
the channel between Hawaii and Ranai, which is about 
forty miles wide, we were brought down to a close 
reefed topsail and balance reef mainsail, with a heavy 
sea running. All night long we thumped about, to the 
suffering of the poor animals on deck, that were thrown 
down every few minutes and were trodden upon by the 
others until they could be relieved. With the violent 
motion of the vessel, the creaking of the timbers, and 
the noise made by the stamping of the cattle upon deck, 
sleep was out of the question. Glad was I on Saturday 
morning, July 4th. to find myself sitting quietly in my 
room at Honolulu. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

SANDWICH ISLANDS. 

Farewell to the north America — whaleship Catharine — 
Objects of a consulate — Kauikeaoxjli, the king — Mission 
fajhlies at Honolulu. 

My excursion to Hawaii dissolved my connection 
with the " North America ;" for she sailed from Honolulu 
on her cruize the same day that we left the harbor, 
bound to Hawaii. I have therefore bidden adieu to the 
good old ship upon whose staunch timbers I have been 
borne so many thousands of miles ; and in taking fare- 
well of my wave-tossed home, I seem to have severed 
the last link that bound me to my native land. Farewell 
good old ship ; thou hast weathered many a gale, and 
carried me in safety over the swelling deep, and my 
heart is drawn towards thy old timbers, in which all 
that was to me of home and kindred has for so long a 
time been centered. To Captain Richards and his offi- 
cers, I am under great obligations for the kind and res- 
pectful attention they have displayed towards me. Cap- 
tain R., is a man I shall always remember with sin- 
cere regard. To his excellence as a navigator and 
sailor, he adds a suavity of manner and goodness of 
character, which ensure him the esteem of all who 



238 SANDWICH ISLANDS. 

know him. The crew always manifested a regard for 
me which I shall never forget, and which attached me 
very strongly to them. In conclusion, 1 shall often call 
to mind the time I spent aboard the " North America," 
as one of the happiest periods of my life. 

Wednesday^ July 8. By the invitation of Mr. 
Brinsmade, the United States' Consul, I accompanied 
him on board the whaleship " Catharine," of Nantucket, 
lying at anchor off the harbor. The " Catharine" 
touched here some time since, under the command of 
Captain Brown, whose adventures at the Marquesas 
Islands I have before mentioned. After a delay of a 
day, or two, she proceeded on her cruise to the north- 
west-ward of these islands, when the sudden death of 
her commander, and the insubordination of her crew, 

obliged her to return to Honolulu. Captain B , was 

off in his boat, and in the act of lancing a whale tc 
which he was '• fast," he suddenly fell over backwards, 
in an apoplectic fit, as was supposed, and instantly ex- 
pired. The command of the ship now devolved upon 
the first mate, according to law, who is invested with all 
the authority of the former commander. Some of the 
crew, however, imagined that the death of Captain Brown 
absolved them from all obligation to the ship, and began 
to exhibit signs of a mutinous disposition. The new 
commander fore-seeing that any conduct of this kind 
must neutralize all the profits of the voyage, ran for this 
port to obtain the assistance of the American Consul. 

Upon arriving on board the "Catharine," we were 
invited into the cabin, where the crew-list was put into 
the hands of the Consul, and the names of the disaffected 
pointed out to him. The latter were then summoned 
aft upon the quarter deck, when the Consul asked each 
one of them in turn, " what reason he had for dissatis- 



OBJECTS OF A CONSULATE. 239 

faction ?" Some frivolous excuse was given, and they 
looked blank enough, when the Consul in a voice of 
authority, assured them that " they should not go in the 
ship," and that " he knew how to take care of such cha- 
racters." He then made a short address to the crew, 
stating clearly to them what the laws of the United 
States required in similar cases, respecting the power of 
the officers, and the obedience of the crew — and con- 
cluded by asking each one if he was satisfied with the 
conditions laid down to them ; to which they all as- 
sented. After the Consul had advised the oflicers of 
the ship to be determined in the exercise of their 
authority, and to flog the first man who manifested the 
least reluctance to obey orders, we left the ship having 
the four mutineers in charge. They were discharged 
according to law, after remaining under the orders of 
the Governor in the fort for a day or two, where they 
were kept upon a short allowance of poi^ a most ad- 
mirable method for reducing a feverish state of the 
system. 

The establishment of a Consulate in a foreign country 
is provided, not only that we may have a representa- 
tive of our country, invested with high honors, to 
watch over its interests remote from home, but also that 
our seamen who are disabled by sickness while at a 
distance from home, may have a protector to take care 
of them. When a seaman is discharged from a ship 
and placed upon the Consul's hands, he is entitled, 
according to law, to receive decent accommodations, 
clothes, and medical assistance, and to be sent home as 
soon as possible ; and all this too, at the expense of the 
United States. The Captain of the ship upon discharg- 
ing a man, pays over to the Consul, a sum not far from 
thirty dollars, I believe, and gives the man two months' 



240 SANDWICH ISLANDS. 

wages in advance, i. e. from thirty to sixty dollars, 
according to his rank. Every ship also bearing the flag 
of the United States, arriving at any foreign port, is 
obliged to carry home a certain number of the men 
under the care of the Consul, if he chooses to put them 
on board, in the proportion of one man for every fifty 
tons. These men are required to render all the assist- 
ance they can in navigating the ship, the Captain of which 
receives ten dollars, as a kind of retaining fee. intended 
as the passage money for the Consul's men. The com- 
pensation is ten dollars^ without respect to time or dis- 
tance, whether it take one month or eight to reach home, 
whether for three hundred miles or for three thousand, 
a law, very unequal in its application. 

Tuesday^ July 21. Yesterday afternoon, the town was 
thrown into commotion, by the cry of " sail ho !" echoed 
from mouth to mouth. The natives have become ac- 
quainted with our mode of indicating that a ship is in 
sight, and the alarm is echoed in every direction like a 
cry of fire, whenever a vessel is seen coming in from 
sea, and sometimes when there is none to be seen, from 
a praiseworthy zeal to interrupt the monotony of the 
town, and to rouse up the foreigners for a few minutes. 
The sail in sight was made out to be a man-of-war, and 
was pronounced to be one of the Exploring Expedition, 
so long and anxiously expected, until, as she came to 
anchor off the mouth of the harbor, the tri-colored en- 
sign was run up to her mizen-peak. Then commenced 
the firing of salutes, the etiquette always observed re- 
quiring a discharge of twenty-one guns from the stran- 
ger, as a compliment to the flag of the nation she visits, 
which is instantly returned with an equal number of 
guns from a fortification or national vessel. 

By the invitation of Mr. Brinsmade, I accompanied 



OBJECTS OF A CONSULATE. 241 

him in a call of ceremony upon the commander of the 
French Corvette "La Danaide." It is customary for all 
the consuls to call upon the commander of a vessel of 
war aboard his ship, out of respect to the flag under 
which he sails, and any omission of this ceremony is 
looked upon as a direct affront. The consul, dressed 
in full uniform, and myself, took our seats in a small 
boat upon the United States flag, and steered out of the 
harbor. On our way, we passed one of the Corvette's 
boats, with several oiRcers on board, who perceiving the 
Consul's uniform, saluted us by raising their hats and 
bowing very politely. The shrill whistle of the boat- 
swain announced our arrival alongside the " Danaide," 
and after scrambling up the side to the extreme danger 
of crushing our nether limbs between the ship and the 
boat, we mounted upon deck, the Consul preceding. We 
were introduced to Capt. Rosamel by M. Dudoit, the 
French Consul, who acted as our interpreter, a most for- 
tunate thing for us, as otherwise our visit must have 
been conducted in dumb show. The Corvette rolled 
most unmercifully, and as we came alongside it looked 
extremely hazardous to attempt going aboard at all. 
When I set foot upon deck, I made a very awkward 
figure of it, especially upon being introduced to one of 
the oflicers, when I was rolled down to starboard, and 
brought up against one of the guns. We were invited 
into the cabin, when after a short palaver, interspersed 
with compliments, claret wine, (fee., we took our leave, 
the Captain observing, among other things, that he could 
never make wine keej> aboard his ship for any great length 
of time, which, however, judging from his appearance, 
was not because age exhausted its virtues. 

In leaving a ship of war, the highest in rank is 
the last to enter the boat, and as I considered Mr. 

31 



242 SANDWICH ISLANDS. 

Brinsmade my superior, 1 preceded him over the 
side of the ship. We now shot ahead of the ship 
about twenty yards, when the consular salute of seven 
guns was fired from the Corvette, which the Consul re- 
ceived with hat doffed and resting upon his oars. Thus 
ended the ceremony, which the commander of the ship 
is bound to return in a day or two, according to the es- 
tablished etiquette. 

Several days since, I had the honor of an introduction 
to His Majesty, Kauikeaouli, king of the Hawaiian 
islands. He is a fine looking man, twenty seven or 
twenty eight years of age. of a light olive color, with an 
expressive face and intelligent eye, and the contour of 
his features well rounded. He is about the medium 
height, and is well formed and muscular. He made 
several enquiries of Rev. Mr. Richards, who introduced 
me, respecting my origin, and the reasons of my visiting 
the island ; but he speaks but very little English and of 
course all my remarks were addressed to him through an 
interpreter. 1 have met the King several times since, 
and once at a small party at the house of the Rev. Mr. 
Bingham. His dignified bearing insures him the respect 
of all the foreign residents, although he always appears 
without any attempt at parade, in a short white jacket 
and white pantaloons, except when compelled in visits 
of ceremony to wear his uniform. So much attached is 
he to this light and cool dress, that while making an 
official visit on board a ship of war in full uniform, im- 
mediately after the ceremony of introduction, he has been 
known to take off his heavy cumbersome coat, and sub- 
stitute a short jacket, borne by an attendant. His judg- 
ment respecting ships and nautical evolutions is said to 
be very good. The name of the king "Kauikeaouli," 
like that of most of his countrymenj has a significant 



MISSION FAMILIES. 243 

meaning attached to it, and the literal translation of it 
is " hanging in the blue sky." The native that takes 
care of my room bears the name of " Pahu," which sig- 
nifies a " barrel " or " box," and I could easily mention 
the names of many others that have a very ludicrous idea 
attached to them. 

1 have delayed making any particular mention of the 
missionaries I have met with at Honolulu and elsewhercj 
with the intention of speaking of them collectively, Avhen 
I should be on the eve of leaving these islands. There 
are about forty mission families located upon the Ha- 
waiian islands, eight of whom are stationed at Honolulu, 
the head quarters of missionary operations. All these 
families, with one exception, reside in the eastern part 
of the town, constituting a very delightful neighborhood. 
Once a year the missionaries hold a convention at Hon- 
olulu, to make reports of their respective parishes and to 
consult about the best means of benefitting those under 
their charge. This anniversary was held during the 
early part of my visit to Honolulu, and I had the pleasure 
of becoming acquainted with many of them, whom I 
should not have seen at any other time in the year. 
They are all very worthy men, actuated by the most 
ardent piety, and devoting all their powers to the benefit 
of those among whom their lot is cast. I have heard 
several of them preach in the seamen's chapel, but can- 
not speak in the most exalted terms of their perform- 
ances. Some of them did not appear to have prepared 
themselves sufficiently for the occasion, and perhaps their 
numerous cares would not admit of it. There ought to 
be no inferiority in the performance, on account of the 
supposed character of the audience, which consists, in a 
large proportion, of seamen ; for sailors are shrewd in 
their estimate of a preacher's abilities, and are apt to 



244 SANDWICH ISLANDS, 

seize with avidity, upon any peculiarity which may 
afford them a subject for mirth. The chaplains sent out 
to foreign ports by the " Seamen's Friend Society," 
should be endowed with no ordinary degree of sagacity 
and discretion, any want of which, will be readily dis- 
covered by their hearers, who are thereby taught to 
cherish more firmly than ever, a saying very common 
among them, that '• missionaries are mere know-nothing s^ 
sent away from home, because they cannot get into any 
other business." These remarks are not dictated by a 
spirit of unkindness, but from a conviction, that Bethel 
chaplains, ought not to infer from the humble character 
of their audience, that they are incapable of discerning 
between good and bad preaching. The missionaries at 
Honolulu have treated me very kindly and invited me 
frequently to their houses. Mr. and Mrs. Bingham have 
taken an affectionate interest in me, which has impressed 
me very strongly with a sense of their disinterested 
goodness. 



CHAPTER XX. 

SANDAVICH ISLANDS. 

Geography — Fertility — Climate — Ancient tabij system — Idol- 
atry — Oppression of the chiefs — Arrival of missionaries — 
Discourage3Ients — Success — Churches at Honolulu — Schools 
— Hawaiian Institute — Supremacy of law — Depopulation. 

Many persons visiting these islands, and other places 
where missionaries have been established, go away with 
less favorable opinions of what has been accomplished 
by these devoted men, than they ought to entertain, but 
it arises from a want of a comprehensive view of the past 
and the present. They come from a country where a 
highly enlightened state of pubhc sentiment prevails, and 
has been perpetuated from generation to generation ; 
where the energies of the mind are brought into activity, 
and subjected to culture, from the first developement of 
the faculties ; and without reflecting that the mission- 
aries have been obliged to teach the whole people before 
them the very elements of civilization, and to fix their 
wandering minds and accustom them to think upon the 
simplest truths, they are somewhat disappointed in their 
expectations of finding them a civilized and intelligent 
people. With the rude islanders of the Pacific, where 
the gospel has not been introduced, there is an inertness 
of mind verging towards idiocy, the elfect of long con- 
tinued devotion to degrading pleasures, accompanied 
with a vacuity of thought upon every subject. Tell 

21* 



246 SANDWICH ISLANDS. 

them of a God, and they associate his holy attributes 
with the disgusting history of their fabled deities. Tell 
them of religion, and their dark minds shudder at the 
bloody rites of human sacrifice, which accompany their 
own superstitious frenzies. It is almost impossible for 
one from our own favored country, to conceive of the 
depth of degradation and pollution, and the revolting 
cruelty that pervaded the character of the Polynesian 
Islanders in every aspect of life, before they were visited 
by the heralds of salvation ; and no one can know it in 
its fullest extent, except those whose early residence in 
these islands was an introduction to heathenism in all its 
horrors. No one however, ought to leave these islands, 
without informing himself respecting the former condi- 
tion of the natives previous to the introduction of Chris- 
tianity, in order that he may contrast it with their 
present condition, else he will have but a faint con- 
ception of the immense good that has been accomplished 
by the missionaries, which is not so apparent at first 
view from the difficulty of conceiving of the extreme 
degradation of the natives in their state of idolatry. 
And this is the reason why the accounts of the mission- 
aries seem to many to be too enthusiastical. All moral 
excellence is judged of comparatively, and the reports of 
the missionaries written upon this principle, often 
appear to be too highly colored to those who are at best 
but partially acquainted with things as they exist even 
at the present time. 

A slight sketch of the Hawaiian Islands, will enable 
us to form a more correct view of what has been done 
by the missionaries, than an elaborate detail could do, 
and will give me an opportunity of stating several facts, 
which I have as yet omitted to mention. 

The Hawaiian Islands were discovered by Capt. Cook 



CLIMATE. 247 

in IT'TS, and were by him called the " Sandwich Islands," 
after the Earl of Sandwich, by which designation they 
are generally known. The missionaries upon these 
islands, however, have denominated them the " Hawaiian 
Islands," a title which I have adopted, as has been seen 
in what precedes. They are ten in number, viz., Hawaii, 
Maui, Torhoorawe, Molokini, Ranai, Molokai, Oahu, 
Kauai, Niihau, and Taura, and are situated on the bor- 
ders of the northern tropic, between the parallels 18° 54', 
23^ 08', and the meridians 154^ 54', 161° 45' west. 
These islands are of a volcanic nature, rising in high 
craggy mountains, v/hose sterile peaks give an aspect of 
barrenness to the island far different from that of the 
lovely valleys lying at their base. Two of them, Maui 
and Kauai, are highly fertile, but more particularly the 
latter, upon which besides large crops of sugar cane, the 
morns multicaulis is cultivated in great quantities. 
Maui and Kauai are admirably adapted to the culture of 
this plant, and to the rearing of cocooneries ; especially 
the latter, in which very ample funds have been invested 
in leasing lands of the government, and preparing them 
for carrying on the silk business upon a very extensive 
scale. There are three kinds of worms, the American, 
the Chinese, and an intermixture of these two, which 
produces silk of an excellent quality. The proprietors 
are novices in the business, and were some one thor- 
oughly acquainted with the silk growing business, to 
take up his residence upon that island, he could com- 
mand a very ample support. The business will be con- 
fined to reeling the raw material which will be exported 
for manufacturing, and the time is not far distant when 
an immense quantity of raw silk will be shipped from 
these islands to foreign countries. The climate of these 
islands is most delightful : indeed, the purity and equable 



248 SANDWICH ISLANDS. 

temperature of the atmosphere are not surpassed any 
where in the world. The thermometer ranges between 
65° and 86°. for the entire year, though it very rarely 
deviates from 73°, and the mercury seems, as it were, to 
stagnate at that point. Situated within the region of the 
trade winds, a fine cool breeze blows over them every 
day. The nights are cool, and a refreshing sleep 
obviates that extreme languor to which those residing in 
tropical climates are subject. There is but little dew at 
night, and the skies are rarely overcast with clouds. 
During the winter months, the rainy season, as it is 
called prevails. It is not to be supposed, however, that 
the rain falls incessantly ; for during the winter months 
the rain comes in frequent showers, one or two a day 
perhaps, but not in a continued fall. These squalls are 
formed upon the mountains over which they hang in 
dense, black clouds, which slowly descending the moun- 
tains' side, discharge themselves into the valleys below. 
The drought of the summer season requires irrigation 
by artificial means. In the valleys, the mountain stream- 
lets are diverted into a thousand little canals, but the 
gardens of Honolulu are provided with large windmills, 
by the revolutions of which, water is pumped up from 
the wells and distributed in every direction. 

The Hawaiian Islands are very favorably situated for 
Astronomical observations ; for the most brilliant con- 
stellations of both hemispheres are here seen in all their 
splendor. 

Let us now turn to the moral aspect of the nation. 
Among the varied horrors connected with the former 
system of idolatry, there is none of so revolting a charac- 
ter, or which so clearly exhibits the extreme degradation 
of the people, as the tahu system, a consecration of some 
particular object by the priests and the chiefs, the viola- 



ANCIENT TABU SYSTEM. 249 

tion of which subjected the offender to death. This 
institution is thus described. "One feature of the 
ancient system was found in the oppressive tabus. The 
restrictions of chiefs and priests were like the poisoned 
tooth of a reptile. If the shadow of a common man fell 
upon a chief, it was death ; if he put on a kapo. (mantle) 
or malo (girdle) of a chief, it was death ; if he went into 
the chief's yard it was death; if he wore the chief's 
consecrated mat, it was death ; if he went upon the 
house of a chief, it was death. If a man was found, 
standing on those occasions, when he should prostrate 
himself, viz., when the king's bathing water, or his kapa 
or his 7nalo were carried along, it was death. So too, if 
he continued standing at the mention of the king's name 
in song, it was death. If a man walked in the shade of 
the house of a chief with his head besmeared with clay, 
or with a wreath around it, or with his head wet, or 
wearing a kihei (mantle,) it was death. There were 
many other ofiences of the people which were made 
capital by the chiefs, who magnified and exalted them- 
selves over their subjects. These are some of the cruel- 
ties attributable to the priests. When one of them 
deemed it desirable that a temple should be built, he 
applied to the king, who commanded the natives to 
construct it. When it was completed, and a log of wood 
obtained for a god, a man was sacrificed to impart 
power to the wooden deity. When sacrifices were 
offered, men were slain and laid upon the altar with 
swine that had been immolated ; if a fish proper for 
offering could not be obtained, a man was sacrificed in 
his stead ; and human victims were required on other 
occasions. If a man committed a crime, he suffered 
death ; if he was irreligious, he suffered death ; if he 
indulged in connubial pleasures on a tahu day, he paid 



250 SANDWICH ISLANDS. 

the same penalty; if he made a noise v/hile prayers 
were saying, he met a like fate. If a woman ate pork, 
cocoa-nuts, bananas, a certain kind of fish, or lobster, it 
was death. So too, was it death to be found in a canoe 
on a tabu day ; and there were many other prohibitions 
of the priests. 

The priesthood was very oppressive to the people. If 
a temple was to be built, they had the stones to collect 
for the walls, and the timber and posts to put up. They 
had also the thatching to do ; and a levy for sustaining 
the service was made on them of every variety of food. 
The time would fail to tell all the oppressions the people 
suffered from this quarter. The king and priests were 
much alike, and united together, they were the nation's 
main burden. 

Another grievance, was the tabu which existed on 
account of the idols. The idols of the chiefs and of the 
common people were of wood. If one made his idol of 
an apple tree, the apple tree was afterwards tabu to him. 
So of all the trees of which idols were made. So too, of 
articles of food. If one employed taro as the object of 
his idolatry, to him the taro became sacred, and might 
not be eaten by him with impunity. Thus it was of 
every object of which a god was made. Birds were 
objects of worship. If a hen, the hen was to him sacred, 
and in a similar manner respecting all the birds which 
were deified. Beasts were objects of worship, and if a 
hog was chosen as the object of devotion, he was sacred 
to him who chose him for his god. Stones were objects 
of worship, and tabu, and for the worshippers of them 
to sit upon one of them would be regarded as a gross 
sacrilege. Fish were idolized ; if one adopted the shark 
as his god, to him the shark was sacred. So of all 
things in heaven and earth ; and even the bones of the 



ARRIVAL OP MISSIONARIES. 251 

departed were transformed into objects of worship. 
Hence the vexatious intricacy with which the tabu was 
overburdened, which rendered it so extremely oppressive 
to the nation. 

Among the tahus, the arbitrary regulations about 
eating were peculiarly burdensome both to the men and 
women. A man, upon his marriage, was obliged to 
build an eating house for himself; another for his god ; 
another for his sleeping apartment ; an apartment for 
his wife to eat in, was then built, and also a place in 
which to beat kapa. In addition to this, he prepared 
the taro and baked it for his v/ife and himself in distinct 
ovens, and then converted the separate portions into jjo^ 
which was always eaten in their respective eating houses. 
They never dared to eat together, lest they should incur 
the penalty of death for having violated the tabu. This 
was the tahu^ which, on account of its severity was first 
exploded, and with it the whole system was abandoned. 

Another point in their past history worthy of notice, is 
this, that the common people were burdened with con- 
stant toil for their chiefs, and were severely taxed in 
various articles of property, which were also taken away 
from them for the chiefs without the slightest remunera- 
tion from their oppressive masters." There were other 
crimes of the most atrocious character prevalent among 
them. It is indeed difficult to conceive of any thing on 
the black catalogue of guilt that did not find its counter- 
part in the character of this people. 

An anecdote told by one of the missionaries, very for- 
cibly illustrates the tyrannical bearing of the chiefs 
towards the common people. "A poor man " said he, 
"by some means obtained possession of a pig, when too 
small to make a meal for his family. He secreted it at 
a distance from his house, and fed it, until it had grown 



252 SANDWICH ISLANDS. 

to a size sufficient to afford the desired repast. It was 
then killed and put into an oven, with the same precau- 
tion of secrecy ; but when almost prepared for appetites 
whetted by long anticipation to an exquisite keenness, a 
caterer of the royal household unhappily came near, and 
attracted to the spot by the savory fumes of the baking 
pile, deliberately took a seat until the animal was cooked, 
and then boreoff the promised banquet without ceremony 
or apology." 

But my limits will not allow me to pursue this subject 
any farther, and I turn to a more interesting feature of 
Hawaiian history, the introduction of the Christian 
religion. On the 23d. of October, 1819, the first band of 
missionaries destined for these islands, sailed from Boston, 
and after a tedious voyage of six months, arrived in April 
1820. Meanwhile the providence of God had been pre- 
paring the way for them to introduce the religion of the 
cross ; and the destruction of the ancient system of idol- 
atry and that of the taba^ so intimately connected with 
it, were the first welcome tidings that gladdened their 
hearts after their long voyage, and upon their arrival at 
these remote and uncivilized islands of the Pacific. 
These wonderful events seemed to them a miraculous 
interposition of divine providence, in removing the most 
formidable impediments to the successful introduction of 
the holy religion of the cross among a people, who had 
professedly abandoned the degrading institutions of their 
idol worship, and begun to make some enquiries after 
the services and worship of the " unknown God." It 
was at this crisis that the missionaries arrived : but if 
they had never come, the condition of this people would 
have been but little improved. They would have 
exchanged polytheism for atheism, but have retained 
some of the worst features of the former system. We 



ARRIVAL OF MISSIONARIES. 253 

can easily see the nature of the influence exerted by the 
foreigners npon the nation, from the strenuous opposition 
they made to the reception of the missionaries, whose 
instructions they had good reason to fear would subvert 
their selfish plans. From the misrepresentations of 
these men, the chiefs were suspicious of the designs of 
the missionaries, and it was not until eight or ten days 
after their arrival, that they were allowed to land ; and 
then, it was witli the express stipulation that at the end 
of a year they should leave the islands, if their conduct 
was not satisfactory to the chiefs. At the expiration of 
this period, so sensible had the nation become of the 
benevolent intentions of the missionaries, that they were 
glad to have them remain longer. But the missionaries 
had many disheartening difficulties to contend with. 
They took up their home in a land, where but a few 
years previous, human victims were immolated upon the 
altars of blood thirsty idols ; and infants, murdered by 
their own mothers, were dashed into the roaring surf; 
where but a few years before, a song of savage triumph 
might be heard, as a trembling victim was to be roasted 
to satisfy their cannibal appetites. Here might have been 
witnessed the most disgusting scenes of licentiousness, 
and woman found degraded to a level with the lowest 
animals, and allowed to exist but as subservient to their 
vilest passions. What a picture of wretchedness is 
exhibited by the history of those times, every feature of 
which is so revolting ! The tahn had been abolished, 
and the worship of idols had been abandoned, it is true ; 
but their demoralizing effects still remained. The mis- 
sionary with untiring zeal illumined their darkened 
minds with the contemplation of truths, to which their 
minds hitherto accustomed to sensual and grovelling 
ideas were utter strangers. He devoted himself to the 

22 



254 SANDWICH ISLANDS. 

Study ofthe language; and reduced it to a written form, 
r Schools were established, where religious truth and the 
elements of knowledge were with aflectionate solicitude 
instilled into their minds. In 1822^ the printing press 
was first put into operation, and since then a great variety 
of publications of a religious and moral character have 
been issued, as will be seen by consulting the statistics 
of the Hawaiian Mission. Within a few years, the 
entire scriptures have been published at Honolulu, in the 
Hawaiian language, in a style highly indicative of the 
improved state of the arts among this people. Nor have 
the mere rudiments of knowledge been taught. At La- 
haina on the island of Maui is a high school, where the 
higher branches of science, Geometry, Trigonometry 
and Navigation, have been successfully prosecuted. To 
follow the advancement of the nation in intelligence, 
must be an interesting theme, a task however which 
belongs rather to the historian than to the tourist. Suffice 
it to say, that the engravings of maps and landscapes on 
copper, executed by the pupils of the high school, are 
among the most astonishing proofs of the progress of the 
nation in civilization, and of their capi^ciry for improve- 
ment. At the eastern part of Honolulu, where the 
mission families are located, is the printing office and 
appurtenances, and the other buildings connected with 
the missionary operations upon these islands. The 
printing office is a two story building with an ample 
basement, and is constructed entirely of coral stone. 
There are belonging to it, three or four printing presses, 
several founts of type of various kinds, and a screw 
press. Almost all kinds of printing are executed at this 
office in good style. There is also a bindery connected 
with the printing office, where the binding of books is not 
inferior to what we ordinarily see in the United States, 



CHURCHES AT HONOLULU. 255 

At the different stations in the islands, churches have 
been erected by the natives for rehgious worship, and the 
architecture of these indicates in some measure the ad- 
vancement in the arts of life at the respective stations. 
At Honolulu, there are two native churches, erected at 
different times, and differing widely in excellence of con- 
struction. The oldest one is an immense thatched build- 
ing, nearly two hundred feet in length, making no pre- 
tensions to any advantages except in securing the cool- 
ness and comfort of the congregation. The accompany- 
ing representation is from a sketch I took of it in one of 
my morning walks, and I need not particularize respect- 
ing its exterior. In front of the middle door, is the pulpit, 
a plain though neat structure, upon each side of which, 
are the rude benches of the natives, capable of seating 
not far from two thousand, and the church could contain 
over a thousand more. This church is under the care 
of the Rev. Hiram Bingham, one of the first missionaries 
that were sent to these islands, and it numbers not far 
from one thousand members in good standing. 

The second native church is located in the northern 
part of the town, and is under the care of the Rev. Mr. 
Smith. As I attended service at this church, I shall be 
somewhat more particular in my description of it. It is 
a large building, about one hundred and twenty feet 
long by sixty broad, made of plastered adobies, having a 
roof projecting five or six feet from the main building, 
and thatched with straw. The belfry is a tower uncon- 
nected with the main building, as will be seen by refer- 
ence to the sketch. The interior is finished off with a 
nice white wall, and reflects great credit upon the skill 
of the natives. The pulpit, consisting of a desk upon 
a platform, is located in the rear of the building, at some 
distance from the wall, from the difficulty of being heard 



256 SANDWICH ISLANDS. 

over so large a building. Notwithstanding the great di- 
mensions of this church, every part was occupied with 
attentive hearers, and I should judge there were over a 
thousand persons in the room. The congregation was 
perfectly decorous, and entered into the services of the 
sanctuary with a propriety, which would have been 
creditable to an American audience. The exercises were 
conducted in the congregational form, and the tunes, 
which were familiar to me, were very well performed, 
though marked with a peculiar nasal intonation. There 
were several natives present, whose hoary locks indicated 
that they had been witnesses of the scenes of by-gone days, 
and of the strange revolutions that had so rapidly suc- 
ceeded one another within the last twenty years. And 
only twenty years have sufficed to produce such mighty 
moral revolutions ! I often thought, as I looked upon 
these representatives of the past, what must be their feel- 
ings, in contrasting their former degraded condition with 
the present blessings, which a pure and holy religion has 
conferred upon them. There are about a thousand com- 
municants connected with this church ; and from all I 
can learn, they appear to understand the fundamental 
doctrines of religion, and the nature of their covenant 
obligations, so that their admission into the church is 
the result of a sober and intelligent conviction of its 
importance. 

But the place of religious worship, which is destined 
to be by far the finest upon these islands, and which in 
architecture and construction will vie with some of the 
largest in our own country, is the church which is build- 
ing in the eastern part of the town, very near the old 
native church. The representation I have made of it, is 
taken from a front view and side view, lent me by the 
Rev. Mr. Bingham, by whom the edifice was designed, 




i 



SCHOOLS. 257 

and who is himself chief architect. The foundation of 
this building was laid in 1839, and it is now carried up 
nearly as high as to the cornice. It is built of coral 
stone, hewn out into large cubical blocks, and its dimen- 
sions are very great, being one hundred and forty four 
by seventy eight feet. The expenses are defrayed by 
the chiefs and by the contributions of the natives. The 
labor is performed almost entirely by the natives, and 
when the church is completed, it will stand as a monu- 
ment which will reflect high honor upon the enterprize 
and skill of the Hawaiian nation. The representations 
of the old and new native churches, are, in some respects, 
emblematic of the past and present condition of the Ha- 
waiian nation. 

There are several schools in Honolulu, for the instruc- 
tion of native children : but the most interesting among 
them, is a school for the education of the young chiefs 
of the nation, which is under the care of Mr. and Mrs. 
Cooke. It is held in a large adobie building, erected in 
the form of a quadrangle, enclosing an area, upon every 
side of which are the apartments of the pupils, the school- 
room, and dining-room, fitted up in the most convenient 
manner, and all at the expense of the government, whose 
desire, that those who are to direct the future destinies 
of the nation may be under a religious influence, is 
highly commendable. Among the pupils was pointed 
out to me the the Governor of Kauai, an oflice which is 
hereditary in these islands. He is a fine looking boy, 
and although rather restive when first introduced into 
the school, he has become very obedient, and attentive 
to his books. 

The Oahu Charity School was commenced about 
seven years ago, and has been supported by the patronage 
of the foreign residents, and by the contributions of the 

22* 



25S SANDWICH ISLANDS. 

benevolent visiting these islands. Tlie house is a 
plain little edifice, built of coral stone, with a projecting 
tower surmounted by a modest cupola, in which there 
is a bell to summon the scholars to their tasks at the ap- 
pointed hour. The school now contains about eighty 
pupils, consisting of half-cast children, and youth born 
on the islands, and being the offspring of foreign fathers, 
destined to exert a great influence in the Hawaiian na- 
tion. Until the establishment of this institution, the 
education of this class of children was almost entirely 
neglected, but now their situation seems to promise that 
they will become fitted for stations of usefulness and re- 
spectability in life. It was originated, I believe, by Mr. 
and Mrs. Johnston, who went out to these islands as mis- 
sionaries, under whose charge it still continues, and to 
whose industry and skill, its present high degree of 
prosperity is to be attributed. 

One of the most interesting things at Honolulu, is the 
Institute^ a society for the promotion of scientific investi- 
gation of every kind. Belonging to the society is a 
museum of curiosities, and also of specimens of natural 
history. There is also a library in the same room, con- 
sisting of several hundred choice books. The objects of 
the society are of a highly interesting character. For 
here in the central point of a vast ocean, studded with 
numerous groups of islands, a great variety of curious 
and useful information respecting the manners and cus- 
toms of the difl^erent islanders, the natural history, and 
the productions of Polynesia, might be collected. Just 
before our arrival, unfortunately, the society had sus- 
pended its meetings for a time, so that 1 had not the pleas- 
ure of attending any of their exercises. 

The missionaries in their labors at these islands, while 
they have taught the people the way of life, have not 




*'*a::t.f 



^M 



SCHOOLS. 259 

been neglectful of the useful arts. The men have been 
instructed in agriculture, and the women have been 
taught to seWj and to make garments for themselves, and 
thus a people, indolent by nature, have been made indus- 
trious by those whose perseverance has indicated their 
devotion to the temporal as well as to the spiritual inter- 
ests of the natives. But the happiest results that have 
flowed from the labors of the missionaries, and to which 
all the indications of refinement that are to be seen in these 
islands are to be attributed, have been owing to the es- 
tablishment and supremacy of law throughout the 
nation. Next to religion, and indeed based upon it, was 
the recommendation of the missionaries to establish de- 
finite laws, by which the nation was to be governed, and 
among the first enactments of the government were those 
which were intimately connected with the observance 
of religion ; for in February, 1S23, the government pub- 
licly acknowledged the Christian Sabbath, and required 
the suspension of ordinary business and sports on that 
sacred day. Since 1 have been at Honolulu, I have been 
struck with the stillness and good order observed on the 
Sabbath. All the business and pleasures of the week 
are given up, and at the ringing of the bell, the people 
attired in their best, are seen walking quietly to their re- 
spective places of worship. The supremacy of law upon 
these islands, has given a perfect security to property, 
such as is not enjoyed any where else in the Pacific ; and 
this is the secret of the commercial prosperity of the Ha- 
waiian islands, and the appearance of enterprize and 
ofilnence exhibited by the foreign residents at Honolulu. 
It is the mainspring of commerce all over the world, and 
especially among these rude islanders of the Pacific, whose 
cupidity and treachery no sense of justice would ever 
have restrained, were it not ingrafted into them by the 



260 SANDWICH ISLANDS. 

religious teachings of the missionaries. Again I would 
ask^what would have been the condition of these islands 
had they never been visited by these devoted men? 
Would they have been taught to give up their degrading 
superstitions ; to love justice and integrity ; to maintain 
a sacred respect for property, by the example and 
recommendation of the foreigners residing among them? 
Alas, the conduct of foreigners has too often inculcated 
far different precepts from these, and these poor islanders 
would never have heard any mention of the God we 
worship, except in the oath of execration. I do not 
mean to imply that all th e foreign residents at the Ha- 
waiian Islands are exerting a bad influence upon the 
nation. Far from it ; there are many that I could name, 
whose example has a most salutary eflfect upon the 
government ; but these very persons would never have 
taken up their residence upon these islands, unless they 
had been preceded by the missionaries, whose exertions 
have brought about that supremacy of law and security 
of property which they now enjoy. 

The most alarming feature in the present aspect of the 
Hawaiian Islands, is the depopulation which is steadily 
taking place from year to year. I have heard several 
causes assigned for this, some of which are whimsical 
enough ; but the most ridiculous of all of them, was told 
me by the pilot that took the North America into the 
harbor upon our arrival. He has resided for many 
years at these islands, and like many other foreigners, 
entertains an antipathy to the missionaries, and is dis- 
posed to attribute every thing bad, to their influence. 
Upon asking his opinion of the cause of the decrease of 
population, he said, that «• since the missionaries obtained 
footing upon these islands, there has been so much 
praying, that the natives have been literally prayed to 



DEPOPULATION. 261 

death. They are a very superstitious people, and it was 
formerly the case with them to offer up prayers for the 
destruction of their individual enemies. The victim, 
imagining himself under a malignant influence from the 
prayers of his adversary, grew sick, and in a few days, 
expired. So it is at the present time, as was formerly 
the case ; for the natives are constantly harassed about 
religious matters, and die through their own superstitious 
terrors. On one occasion," said he, in confirmation of 
his theory, " I was called upon to read prayers over the 
corpse of a foreign resident, and among the natives that 
thronged around, was a young chief, who had incurred 
the resentment of the deceased for some cause or other. 
As the burial service proceeded, he imagined that the 
prayers offered on the occasion were incantations offered 
to the god of the stranger for vengeance upon himself. 
So deeply was he impressed with this belief, that he was 
filled with terror and apprehension. It haunted him 
wherever he went, until he sank beneath the horrid 
images his fancy conjured up, and in about a week he 
was a corpse, the victim of his own superstitious fears. 
Religion is a gloomy thing, and it acts upon the simple 
minds of the natives in such a way, that they are blighted 
with melancholy, and die under the influence of so much 
priestcraft." Previous to the arrival of the missionaries 
at these islands, there were various causes that produced 
"a diminution of the population, as the frequent wars, 
[pestilence, and infanticide; but particularly the intro- 
Iduction of vile diseases by the ships touching at the 
' islands. Since then, not even Christianity has been able 
to stay this infection, whose deadly taint is infused so 
widely throughout the nation. The consequence has 
been, that there have been fewer children, and these 
have too frequently fallen victims to the sins of their 
jjparents by inheriting their diseases. 

J 



262 



SANDWICH ISLANDS. 



" Vitio parentum 
Rara juventus." 

The follov/ing table exhibits the decrease of popula- 
tion at the several islands within the years 1832 and 
1836, a period of only four years. 



Hawaii 

Mani 

Molokai 

Ranai 

Kahoolawe 

Oahu 

Kauai 

INhhau 

Total 



1832 


1836 


45,752 


39,364 


35,062 


24,199 


6,000 


6,000 


1,600 


1,200 


80 


80 


29,755 


26,809 


10,977 


3,934 


1,047 


993 


130,273 


102,579 



Decrease. 

6,388 
10,863 

400 

2,946 

7,043 
54 



27,694 



What alarming facts does this table declare ! That the 
annual decrease of the population is, upon an average 
over six thousand. This estimate however, is much too 
high, I have been told, as it is formed by a comparison 
of the births and deaths that come to the knowledge of 
the missionaries, at their respective stations. A birth is 
regarded by the natives as a matter of so little conse- 
quence, that it is not made known to the missionaries, 
whereas a death is an affair of public notoriety, and is 
succeeded by continual wailing for several days by the 
relatives of the deceased. Still the depopulation of these 
islands is steadily moving forwards, and unless it is 
speedily arrested, the total extinction of the nation is 
inevitable, and these humble islanders must shrink away 
before the irresistible march of foreign enterprize, and 
like the aborigines of our own country, become extermi-j 



DEPOPULATION. 263 

riated. What part Roman Catholicism is to bear in 
directing the future destinies of the nation, it is impossi- 
ble to tell, but no one who is solicitous for the welfare of 
this interesting people, can look upon their movements 
without apprehension. Bat that they have gained a 
permanent footing upon many of the islands of the Pa- 
cific, and that their religion which is so indulgent to- 
wards the gross practices of the natives, and so attractive by 
its brilliant pageantry, is destined to have the ascenden- 
cy in most of these islands, is perhaps not improbable. 

The Hawaiian Islands are annually growing in im- 
portance as their natural resources are becoming more 
fully developed, and their commercial advantages more 
generally known. Situated as they arc in the central 
point of the vast Pacific, and communicating with the 
continent of America on the east, and with Asia on the 
west, and to the south west, with the numberless islands 
of Polynesia, they seem to be destined to be the seat of a 
flourishing empire. Before this period shall have arrived, 
however, there is some reason for fearing, that from the 
depopulating causes enumerated above, or from the 
grasping and engrossing policy of foreign nations, the 
government will have passed into other hands, and the 
present race have reached the borders of extermination. 
With regard to the shameful aggressions of the French 
frigate " L'Artemise," at these islands, about a year since, 
and the insolent and bullying conduct of the French 
Consul, my limits will not allow me to enter into the 
discussion in full, without which, the transactions on 
that occasion, cannot be presented with sufficient vivid- 
ness. All the proceedings of that disgraceful affair — the 
most outrageous that has violated national sovereignty 
for many years— have been published to the world, and 
ire perhaps, familiar to the reader. 



CHAPTER XXL 

VOYAGE TO TAHITI. 

Embarkation — Passengers — An incident — Calm latitudes — 
Poisonous fish. 

Tuesday^ August 4tli. Yesterday, I bade a long 
adieu to many kind friends at Honolulu, and established 
myself in my quarters aboard the barque '' Flora," Cap- 
tain Spring, bound for New York. To Dr. Wood and I 
his estimable and accomplished lady, and to Mr. Brins-- 
made, the United States' Consul, I am particularly 
indebted, for the continued kindness and hospitality 
they displayed towards me, which I shall ever bear in 
affectionate remembrance. Mr. Brinsmade is a man of 
most excellent character, the friend and supporter of the 
missionaries, and takes an active part in the religious 
interests of Honolulu : in all these respects exhibiting a 
striking contrast to his predecessor. If all the represent- 
atives of our nation in foreign countries, were like the 
United States Consul at the Hawaiian Islands, not only 
would the interests of the republic be sustained with 
more dignity, but their influence would have a most 
excellent effect upon the people with whom they are 
located. 

With these deserved tributes to the friends I have left 



BARaUE FLORA. 265 

behind at the Hawaiian Islands, which have faded from 
view many hours since, I hasten to take a sketch of my 
ship and fellow voyagers. The Flora, is a harque of 
about two hundred and ninety three tons burden, nearly 
a hundred tons smaller than the North America, and 
in many other respects is her inferior. She is a merchant 
vessel, and arrived at Honolulu a short time since, with 
stores for the Exploring Expedition. Her commander 
is from a highly respectable family, a brother of Dr. 
Spring of New York City, and a gentleman of courteous 
manners. The Flora, is chartered by one of the 
mercantile houses at Honolulu, and is principally 
freighted with sugar and molasses, novel exports from 
the Hawaiian Islands to the United States, a distance of 
eighteen thousand miles. The speculation will undoubt- 
edly prove a faihire, from the high rate at which the 
ship is chartered— twelve hundred dollars per month — 
and from the long time that must elapse before reaching 
the United States, as the Flora is reputed to be a very 
dull sailer. In addition to the articles I have mentioned, 
she carries several casks of arrow root, of a very superior 
quality, and a quantity of hides. But the most interest- 
ing specimen of the productions of the Hawaiian Islands, 
consists in several varieties of raw silk from the planta- 
tions on the island of Kauai. 

The cabin of the Flora is very small, having three 
state-rooms, one of which belonging to the captain is the 
only one whose dimensions were intended for comfort. 
As the other two are situated upon each quarter of the 
ship, they are conformed to the shape of the vessel, and 
are somewhat triangular in their outlines, which renders 
them very inconvenient ; for with the large sea chest I 
am obliged to admit into mine, there is hardly room 
enough left to stand up securely. The steerage — that 

23 



266 VOYAGE TO TAHITI. 

part of a ship lying between the cabin and the mainmast, 
is fitted up with temporary state-rooms, of large dimen- 
sions, for the other passengers. There are twenty- 
passengers in all, who, with the exception of two or three 
that are to be left at the Society Islands, are to consti- 
tute a community by ourselves for many a month, while 
roving the ocean, in the long voyage to our native land. 
The character of the passengers, gives the fairest prom- 
ises of a happy and profitable voyage. Mr. and Mrs. 
Bingham, after a residence of twenty years at these 
remote isles of the sea, during which, amid toils and 
privations of which we have no adequate conception, 
they have seen the christian religion established among 
a race of idolaters, and have given permanency to a lan- 
guage existing but from generation to generation, hav<^ 
now embarked with their family of three young chil- 
dren, to revisit the land of their fathers, for the recovery of 
their health, and then to return again to these islands, 
after bidding farewell forever to their children, and com- 
mitting them to the care of a benevolent public. The 
tide of contending emotions that agitate their hearts can 
only be imagined. With the thousand perplexities and 
cares attendant upon making preparation for so long a 
voyage, and in separating themselves perhaps forever 
from a people that had grown up under their instruction, 
and to whom they had become tenderly attached, they 
were almost exhausted, and it seemed like a renewal of 
that depressing sorrow that attended their departure from 
their native land. The poor natives accompanied them 
in crowds as they came down to the ship, and thronged 
the dock, with sorrow depicted in their countenances. 
Soon the voice of wailing, which had been heard from 
one or two. became general, and a note of wild lamenta- 
tion burst forth in a deafening chorus, until by the 



AN INCIDENT. 267 

efforts of two or three of the missionaries, the sorrow of 
the people was restrained to a more quiet demonstration 
of their grief. I could not but admire the heroic forti- 
tude with which Mrs. Thurston tore herself away from her 
affectionate husband, to voyage with her family, consist- 
ing of two sons and three daughters, to a far distant 
country, which had almost become a foreign land, after 
an exile of twenty years. Poor Mr. Thurston ! When 
he returns to his home upon the rocky shore of Hawaii, 
how heavily must the lonesome hours pass by, which 
are no longer enlivened by the presence of his beloved 
family. There are a father and mother too, who with 
bursting hearts, commit their little daughter, of only nine 
years of age, to the care of Mrs. Bingham, to be borne 
far away from their presence to a land of strangers. 
Such are some of the heart-rending scenes that are often 
exhibited in the missionaries' life, who not only exile 
themselves from all they hold dear in their native land, 
but are ready to sunder every tie of affection, if required 
by a sense of duty. There are also a Mr. and Mrs. 
Kogers, from Hartford, Connecticut, very estimable 
people, who are returning home after a residence of a 
year or two at these islands, during which time they 
have been engaged in the silk culture. Mr. R., has been 
laboring for many months, under a severe attack of the 
epidemic ophthalmia prevalent upon Kauai, where he has 
been residing, which has obliged him to confine himself 
to a room made perfectly dark, a very disagreeable situa- 
tion in so warm a climate, exclusive of the distressing 
nature of the ophthalmia. 

Our voyage commences rather unpropitiously ; for 
this morning, we were all thrown into consternation by 
the alarm that one of the foremast hands had cut his 
throat in the forecastle. Captain S., followed by two or 



268 VOYAGE TO TAHITI. 

three of the passengers hurried forward and ordered the 
man to be brought upon deck, when a deep gash upon 
the right side of his neck, from which the blood was 
bubbUng out, and streaming down, told very plainly 
that he had penetrated into his windpipe, while a ghast- 
ly paleness made the wound appear more dangerous 
than it proved to be. The gash was speedily closed up 
with a needle and thread, and the man placed under 
guard, lest he should repeat this attempt at suicide. 
This man had been put on board the Flora, by the 
United States consul at Honolulu, agreeably to law, after 
having lived upon government for about a year. He 
had occasionally given indications of mental aberration, 
and displayed great reluctance to come on board the 
ship, shedding tears very profusely when he was com- 
pelled to do so. To witness insanity is a painful scene, 
anywhere ; but to be brought into so close proximity 
with it, and with its extravagances and perhaps violence 
constantly enacted before one's eyes, as must necessarily 
be the case when it occurs on board ship, seems to cast 
a shade of melancholy over our prospects for the voyage. 
Monday^ Sept. 7. After leaving Honolulu, our course 
was in a south-easterly direction, "on the wind," and we 
had a very pleasant run for two or three days, until we 
arrived in latitude 10° north, when we encountered a 
series of calms and light baffling winds, that detained us 
for more than two weeks between the parallels of 10^ 
and 40° north. The Flora has most fully acted out 
her character for being a dull sailer, and in this calm 
region, between the north-east and south-east trade 
winds, she was perfectly intolerable. Her track over 
the ocean marked down upon the chart was zig-zag in 
every direction, like the filaments of a spider's web. Day 
after day presented the same scene with but little variety. 



POISONOUS FISH. 269 

The ship with her sails resting listlessly against the 
masts and rigging, lay motionless upon the sea, except as 
she was lifted by the swell as it rose and fell sluggishly, 
while to the verge of the horizon, the glassy ocean was 
a mirror to the piles of massive clouds, and reflected the 
intense rays of the sun, that seemed to be concentrated 
in this region. Two or three times during the day, a 
black cloud might be seen slowly rising above the hori- 
zon, and expanding itself; while in its approach, a dark 
shadow was cast upon the waters, preceded by the wind 
as it began to moan in the rigging, and accompanied by 
a refreshing rain, which soon passed over, however — the 
breeze died away, and the scorching sun came out 
again. In latitude 4° north, the south-east trade winds 
came to our assistance, and removed us from this region 
of rain, squalls and calms, into a more congenial clime. 
We crossed the equator in longitude 148^ 20' west, and 
steering close hauled upon the wind, made a southerly 
course very nearly, but have fallen some distance to 
leeward of Tahiti however, and are now endeavoring to 
work up to windward. 

While we were floating about in the calm region north 
of the equator, the ship was surrounded by large schools 
of Bonetto and Albacore, that continued around her for 
many days, and even accompanied us for some time after 
we emerged from it, which afforded us a fine opportunity 
for fishing, and numbers of both varieties were captured 
every day. One morning, after we had breakfasted very 
freely upon some bonetto, one of the passengers was 
seized with a violent blinding headache, with a feeling of 
severe oppression upon the head, and the face was suf- 
fused with a deep purple hue, as if all the blood in the 
system had been determined in that direction. In about 
an hour, the symptoms began to be more favorable, and 

23* 



270 VOYAGE TO TAHITI. 

not long after, the effects of this sudden attack had 
entirely passed away. A day or two afterwards, another 
person was taken in a similar manner, after partaking 
freely of a dish of bonetto, which convinced us that there 
were poisonous properties belonging to these fish, but 
confined to a particular part, as was evident from the 
fact, that but one person had been disagreeably affected 
in each of these instances, whereas the dish was partici- 
pated in by all at the table. The poisonous properties 
that are frequently resident in the dolphin are well 
known, particularly in those that are taken in the vicin- 
ity of the West India Islands, but in the other varieties 
of ocean fish that live near the surface, as the bonetto 
and albacore, it is a rare occurrence to find them thus 
infected. While I was aboard the North America, 
we caught great numbers of these fish, but never expe- 
rienced any injury from eating them. To detect the 
presence of poison, a silver spoon cooked along with 
them, is said to be an infallible test, as the silver will 
become blackened, if there are any poisonous properties 
present. In every case like those I have mentioned an 
emetic should be speedily administered, which will gene- 
rally afford immediate relief It would be an interesting 
object of enquiry to the naturalist, I should suppose, to 
discover the cause of this infection of ocean fish with 
poisonous properties, and in what part of the fish they 
reside. 



CHAPTER XXII. 

TAHITI. 

Arefval at Tahiti — Papeete Bay — British Consulate — Ameri- 
can WHALE SHIPS — Natives — Capt. Upham — United States* 
Consul — Disaster at Tongatabu. 

Monday^ September 14. After an unusually Jong 
passage of thirty eight days from Honolulu, Tahiti and 
the adjacent islands hove in sight, and we came to anchor 
in Papeete (" Pah-pay-ay-tay") bay, on Thursday, Sep- 
tember 10th, with the expectation of spending two or 
three days at this lovely island. Papeete bay is on the lee 
side of the island of Tahiti, around which the trade 
winds, intercepted by the lofty mountains, are diverted in 
curves around the northern and southern points of the 
island, in such a manner, that a little to the southward 
of the entrance to the harbor, there is a tract of water 
which is almost always perfectly calm, where ships are 
sometimes detained for many hours, while, perhaps, 
within a few feet of them, the wind, in a regularly de- 
fined stratum, is sweeping down from the mountains and 
dashing up the " white caps" upon the surface of the sea. 
The appearance of Tahiti is highly picturesque, and de- 
lightful to the eye, as you gradually draw nearer and 
nearer. Its outline is bold, and the high mountains that 
rise with a steep ascent from the shores form many an 
angular ridge, until the topmost peaks pierce the clouds, 



272 TAHITI. 

that hang like wreaths around their summits ; while 
down their sides a bright red clay contrasts strangely 
with the deep green verdure of the ravines. From the 
gracefully winding shore, long low points of land are 
seen running out into the sea, covered with a dense array 
of cocoa-nut groves, whose tall, branchless trunks, and 
canopies of broad leaves, present a novel and interesting 
appearance. At irregular distances from the shore, a 
coral reef extends itselfj upon which the sea bursts, and 
encircles the islands with a snow-white fringe. In many 
places, the reef is connected immediately with the shore, 
but it is generally constructed at some distance, parallel 
to it, forming in some instances, safe anchorage for ships 
in the placid lagoons that lie between the reef and the 
shore. It is a singular fact, that wherever fresh water 
streams run into the sea, there are openings in the reef 
abreast of them ; for the fresh water appears to have 
neutralized the labors of the animalculae, to which these 
reefs are supposed to owe their origin. Upon this prin- 
ciple, Papeete harbor was formed. Across a deep recess, 
in the island, extends the reef, which, far to the right, is 
interrupted, thus giving passage into the harbor while 
the surf bursts in one continued roar upon the immov- 
able barrier upon each side. A ship in coming to an- 
chor, runs into the passage, then beats up to her desired 
anchorage — for the wind is almost always from one 
quarter, that is, ahead. A noble sheet of water spreads out 
before you, a mile in length perhaps, and a half mile wide. 
On the left hand side, a small island of circular shape is 
a beautiful feature in the scenery of the bay, the shores 
of which, down to the beach are crowned with luxuri- 
ant groves, while a narrow point of land running out to- 
wards the reef, and set thickly with cocoa-nut trees, 
gives variety to the view in that direction. Around 



PAPEETE BAY. 273 

this point, between the reef and the shore, there is a safe 
passage for ships up to Point Venus, celebrated in the 
voyages of Capt. Cook, as the place from which the 
transit of Venus was observed — whence its name. Pa- 
peete Bay is one of the finest in the world, and is far su- 
perior to Honoulu Harbor, in natural qualities. The 
hoarse surges that beat upon the reef without, are lulled 
to rest in its tranquil waters where 

" The glassy ocean hushed forgets to roar, 
But trembling murmurs on the sandy shore." 

P;-otected from the winds by the lofty mountain peaks, 
and embosomed in verdure of the densest luxuriance of 
the tropics, Papeete Bay exceeds in beauty, any sheet of 
water I have ever seen. It is so capacious, that a fleet 
of a hundred sail of ships might lie at anchor without 
incommoding one another, and its depth of water is such 
that large vessels are moored within a stone's throw of 
the shore. 

To form some idea of the appearance of Papeete, the 
seat of government at Tahiti, imagine the shore on 
the right hand side of the bay, to consist of a hot sand 
beach, and within a few feet of the water's edge, a range 
of light built, white houses, the intervals between which 
are filled up with the sombre shantees of the natives, 
while the rest of the settlement is concealed by a dense 
grove of orange and lime trees, prominent among which 
rise the stately bread-fruit trees, with their dark green 
enameled foliage, varied here and there by the waving 
leaves of the cocoa-nut tree, and you have some faint 
idea of the aspect of the harbor, where nature has been 
so profuse in richness of scenery, but art so humble. 
The residences of the foreigners, are light wooden struc- 
tures, painted white with green blinds and thatched roofs ; 
in the interior the rafters are left uncovered in many in- 



274 TAHITI. 

Stances, and they are divided off into separate rooms, by 
rude partitions constructed of boards sawn from the 
bread-fruit tree. 

As we came to anchor, the other day, we were boarded 
by Mr. Pritchard, British Consul, belonging formerly to 
the missionary corps upon these islands, who came to 
welcome our missionary passengers, and to propose 
measures for their accommodation during the detention 
of the ship at Papeete. Mr. Pritchard is a man of very 
amiable character and pleasant manners, and the course 
he has pursued, reflects high honor upon the nation he 
represents. Although nominally pursuing a different 
vocation from that of the missionary, he has not relaxed 
his exertions for the welfare of Tahiti, but preaches very 
frequently both in the native and in the foreign chapels. 

A short time after we had dropped our anchor, an 
American whale ship, the "Benjamin Tucker," Capt. 
Worth, got under way, and ran out of the harbor, bpund 
on a cruise. Her fortune was somewhat similar with 
that of the North America ; for when standing in for 
an anchorage in a curve of the shore at James's Island, 
one of the Gallapagos group, the ship suddenly struck a 
sunken rock, and with such violence, that her loss seem- 
ed to be inevitable. This occurred not far from the 
scene of our disaster and about the same time. Had the 
North America continued on her original course after 
the accident which befel her at Chatham Island, both 
ships would have been making repairs at Tahiti, about 
the same time. It was a most fortunate circumstance 
however, that our course was altered for Honolulu, a 
more eligible place not only in offering greater facilities 
on all occasions, but because Tahiti would have been 
entirely exhausted of the materials we required, if the 
other ship, had chanced to have arrived first. For other 



PAPEETE BAY. 275 

reasons than these I have mentioned, I esteem it a most 
happy circumstance that Capt. Richards determined to 
bear away for Oahu. 

There was another American whale ship, the " Alex- 
ander Mansfield " of Hudson, lying dismantled near the 
shore. Not long ago, she had left Papeete bay, bound on a 
cruise, when, after being at sea for a few days, it was 
accidentally discovered that the stern timbers of the ship 
were falling to pieces. To have proceeded on the voy- 
age in this dangerous condition would have been mad- 
ness, and she returned to Papeete, where she was " con- 
demned " as unseaworthy, and dismantled, a frequent 
occurrence whenever ships are found to be incompetent 
for service, either through age, or from injury. In a 
case like this, happening in a foreign port, the American 
Consul, upon receiving representations from the master 
of the weak condition of his ship, calls a " survey," as 
the examination is termed, which is performed by one 
or two masters of vessels, and a ship carpenter, who de- 
cide upon the fitness of the ship to go to sea, after a 
thorough inspection of her timbers. For this service they 
receive a suitable remuneration, and their decision de- 
termines the fate of the ship. The " Mansfield" was for- 
merly a Liverpool packet, saiUng from New York many 
years since, an exaltation that would hardly be surmised 
from the appearance of the dingy looking hulk lying 
condemned at Papeete. 

As soon as possible, I went ashore, where I was sur- 
prised at the many marks of indolence, and want of en- 
terprise that presented themselves in every direction, and 
I could not but contrast the aspect of industry and vigor 
exhibited at Honolulu, with the lifeless air that pervaded 
Papeete. With the exception of two small piers, belong- 
ing to the French and English consuls, and used for 



276 TAHITI. 

boats, there is no landing except immediately upon the 
beach. Nothing about the place indicates the least pub- 
lic spirit and energy. There were no large ware -houses 
filled with goods as at Honolulu, but all along the beach, 
we saw groups of natives, sitting under the shade of the 
cocoa-nut tree appearing to have nothing to do whatso- 
ever, but to cast a dreamy look over the scenery of the 
bay, and to criticise the appearance of the Flora, as 
she lay at anchor, with her head high up in the air and 
her stern far depressed in the water — for she was sadly 
out of trim. Even their cupidity for levying contribu- 
tions upon strangers, in the way of exchange for fruits 
and other articles — a predominant characteristic of the 
Pacific islanders — could tempt none of them to conie 
alongside the ship, whereas, at Honolulu, a vessel would 
be surrounded by noisy venders of fruits and vegetables, 
before she had even come to anchor. There are many 
mountain rills emptying into the bay, which we forded 
as well as we were able, for, although the beach is the 
thoroughfare for all classes, yet they are too indolent to 
construct bridges across these water courses, and prefer 
wading through them to exerting themselves to such a- 
degree. 

As we passed along the beach, 1 was introduced to i 
Capt. Upham, Master of a large whale ship, the "Sarah," J 
which was "standing off" and on" outside the harbor. 
When my name was announced to him, he enquired if I 
was related to a young gentleman of the same family ' 
name, residing in New York city. Upon my answering 
in the affirmative, and that he was a brother of mine, I 
was delighted to hear that the Captain had been very 
well acquainted with him while boarding in the same 
house in the city ; for nothing is more acceptable to one 
who is far from home, in a strange land, than to meet with c 



AMERICAN WHALE SHIPS. 277 

one who is acquainted with those we love, for we then 
have a theme of conversation which brinors our friends 
vividly to view. I was then invited by Captain Upham, 
to take dinner with him at a boarding house kept by an 
EngUshwoman, who is almost entirely indebted to cap- 
tains and officers of American whaleships for her pleas- 
ant little cottage and its appurtenances. After dinner, 
which by the way, was in a style of profusion quite as- 
tonishing to one connected with the Barque Flora, I 
parted with my newly acquired friend, who soon went 
off to his ship, a fine vessel of five hundred tons bur* 
den and carrying five boats in service, with a crew of 
forty men. 

Proceeding along the beach, I was made acquainted 
with Mr. Blackler, American Consul at his residence sit- 
uated at the head of the bay. Our principal topic of 
conversation was the number of American whaleships 
that had touched at Papeete within a few months. Ow- 
ing to the recent occupation of New Zealand by the 
English, whose grasping policy induces them to seize 
with avidity, upon the slightest pretext, the possessions 
of those who are too weak to resist their invasion, 
American whaleships have been excluded from obtain- 
ing supplies there, and have been obliged to go else- 
where ; hence an unusual number have visited Papeete 
bay. Since the commencement of the the year, fifty- 
seven whale ships had arrived here for recruits, having 
cargoes, on the aggregate, to the value of a million and 
a half of dollars. The arrival of so many ships, placed 
a large number of invalid seamen under the charge of 
the consul, and many that had recovered, were standing 
listlessly under the shade of the trees, while the situation 
of the others must be wretched indeed, as there are no 
comfortable accommodations for an invalid in Papeete, 

»4 



278 TAHITI. 

and the proper medical assistance cannot be obtained, 
A few words respecting the establishment of our con- 
sulates. At almost all foreign ports of any importance, 
the govermnent of the United States have appointed a 
consul, whose duties I have specified in part, in a few 
preceding remarks. The only remuneration that the 
consul receives for his services, which often engage all 
his time, and are attended with no slight degree of labor 
and vexation, is in the way of perquisites, which are by 
far too inadequate for his support in a respectable stand- 
ing. He is therefore compelled to devise other methods 
for procuring the means of subsistence, an alternative 
reflecting great discredit upon a nation of such ample 
resources, that the representative of their dignity should 
be obliged to resort to commercial speculation through 
the illiberality of his government, which places him in a 
diminutive attitude, in the eyes of the people among 
whom he is residing. If the importance of our com' 
merce with any foreign port renders the appointment of 
a consul desirable, his salary ought to be sufficiently 
large, that he may not feel it necessary to neglect the in- 
terests of his country, to attend to his own speculations ; 
there are also many other reasons for rendering the con- 
sulate independent of commercial transactions. 

All the foreign residents — not a very numerous class — 
united in representing Tahiti as one of the most unde- 
sirable countries to inhabit in the world. They told me, 
that they could hardly get anything for their tables ex- 
cept fruit and vegetables, and frequently when they had 
invited gentlemen to dine with them, they had the 
mortification of sitting down to empty dishes. This 
is not the case at Honolulu ; and although the barren 
aspect of Oahu is strongly in contrast with the brilliant 
verdure of Tahiti, and although, the natives of that 



DISASTER AT TONGATABU. 279 

island are held under a far more despotic vassalage than 
they are here, yet their energy and industry generally 
insures an abundance of everything to the purchaser. 

Friday^ Septemher 11. The brig "Camden," belong- 
ing to the London Missionary Society, and placed at the 
disposal of the missionaries upon Tahiti and the adja- 
cent islands, came to anchor this morning in the bay. 
The intelligence she brought was of a highly interest- 
ing character to the foreign residents. The " Favorite," 
an English sloop of war, was lying at anchor at the 
island of Tongatabu, one of the Friendl^r islands, to the 
westward of this group, at a time, when the natives 
were divided into two parties, those that favored the 
Christian religion, and the adherents of the ancient sys- 
tem of idolatry, who maintained the most violent ani- 
mosities between themselves. The Captain of the " Fa- 
vorite" endeavored to reconcile them, and upon a certain 
occasion, landed with a party of men from his ship, under 
arms, to act as mediator between the opposite factions. 
In this character, he assumed arbitrary powers, in virtue 
of which, he marched to a fort where the heathen party 
had intrenched themselves, and urged them to sur- 
render; and upon their refusal, he made an attack 
upon the fort, at the very commencement of which, he 
fell dead with two of his men, and not long afterwards, 
the rest retreated, carrying off the bodies of the killed, 
together with eighteen of their number that were despe- 
rately wounded. This interference was entirely unwar- 
ranted, and the British Government will not probably 
retaliate. Its disastrous result teaches the necessity of 
extreme caution in all transactions with the rude natives 
of Polynesia. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

TAHITI. 



Difference of tbie — Natives — Queen Pomare — Poimare-tane 
— Tahitian soldiers — Display — Church — Palace — Seamen's 



September 30. Once more upon the main we are 
ploughing our way over its fathomless depths. Mean- 
while, I return to Tahiti, to narrate what passed before 
me, subsequent to my preceding date. 

The reckoning of time at Tahiti is one day in advance 
of what obtains at the Hawaiian islands, which was de- 
rived from those who came from the United States by 
the way of Cape Horn. The missionary operations up- 
on this and the adjacent islands, were commenced not 
far from the beginning of the present century, by mission- 
aries sent out from England, under the auspices of the 
London Missionary Society, and their labors have been 
continued, without interruption ever since, a period of 
forty years. In their passage to these islands, they sailed 
eastward around Cape of Good Hope, and passed over 
about 210° difference of longitude, or more than half the 
circumference of the globe. Hence their computation of 
time must be in advance of that adopted by the Hawaiian 
missionaries, who lost time by sailing westward ; and of 
course, Saturday with us on board the Flora correspond- 
ed with the Sabbath on shore. 



NATIVES. 281 

An incident occurred upon our arrival at Honolulu, 
which illustrates the difference in time produced by 
sailing in opposite directions. While the North Amer- 
ica, was lying outside the harbor, an English ship 
came to anchor close by us, and the next day, which 
was Saturday with us, we observed that every thing 
was perfectly quiet on board, but on the following day, 
as Ave were putting off from the North America to go 
to church, all hands were in motion aboard our neigh- 
bor, some in hanging stagings over her side, from which 
to paint the ship, while a line of men was extended 
upon the maintopsail yard, engaged in " bending " a new 
maintopsail. This unusual activity was at first supposed 
an intended desecration of the day, but we afterwards 
ascertained, that they had come around Cape of Good 
Hope, and consequently, that our Sabbath was Monday 
with them. 

About nine o'clock, A. M., Q,ueen Pomare, was seen 
moving in state along the beach, escorted by her body 
guards, numbering over a hundred, who, at the distance 
we viewed them, presented a very imposing pageant. 
Before the procession, were borne the royal standards of 
Tahiti, red, white and red, in horizontal bars; then 
followed the queen and king, and after them, their dash- 
ing: soldiery two by two, " in proportione perturbata," as 
the geometricians say. The rear was brought up by all 
who could make any pretensions to decency of appear- 
ance, the whole procession extending to a great distance 
along the beach, and in this order moving slowly along 
towards the church. Soon after they had passed. Cap- 
tain Spring and I directed our steps thither, and entered 
a larire thatched building situated upon the beach within 
a few yards of the water. The body of the church was 
occupied by the queen and the military, and the galleries 

24* 



282 TAHITI. 

principally by women. We took seats near the pulpit 
in full view of her majesty and her retinue. Queen 
Pomare is a good looking woman, of a light olive com- 
plexion, with very dark expressive eyes, and black hair. 
In person, she is about the medium height, and is rather 
inclined to e?nbonpoint, and as she stood up several 
times during the service, she rose with an air of dignity 
that was truly royal. She wore a white satin hat, 
flaring open and flattened upon the upper rim, after the 
Tahitian style, trimmed with broad satin ribbon and then 
surmounted by three white ostrich feathers. Her dress 
was of satin or figured silk, of a pink color, with slippers 
to correspond. The husband of the queen, Pomare-tane^ 
" Pomare's-man" as he is usually called, sustains the rela- 
tion of a prince Albert to the government. He is a young 
man, of about twenty one years of age, while her majesty 
is not far from thirty, a disparity on the side of the lady, 
highly averse to our notions of propriety. In the affairs 
of the government, he has no power, as he was an infe- 
rior chief before his marriage with Pomare, but in do- 
mestic matters, is very tenacious of his rights. Pomare- 
tane is a good looking man, with very much of the hon 
vivmit in his appearance,, and an easy good humored 
way about him. Although so young, his hair is very 
grey, an indication of age, prematurely developed I doubt 
not, by the repeated floggings he received from her 
majesty many years since, when he was but a mere boy; 
occurrences entirely contrary to the order of nature. 
Pomare-tane, however, was very restive under her author- 
ity, and stimulated by the foreigners, had many desper- 
ate contests with his spouse, until she was compelled to 
succumb to his superior prowess. Since then, if reports 
speak true, he has not only administered wholesome 
chastisement for offences coming under his immediate 



aUEEN POM ARE. 283 

supervision, but repcays with compound interest, her 
maternal care over him in his boyish days. Invested 
in a brilUant crimson uniform, decked with gold epau- 
lets, a sword at his side and his chapeau surmounted by 
white ostrich feathers, his majesty presented a highly 
imposing appearance. It would have been a matter of 
deep envy to all hen-pecked husbands, acquainted with 
the past history of his household, to have witnessed with 
what utter nonchalance his majesty attended his royal 
spouse, appearing entirely regardless of her presence. 

The officers of the royal household, eight or ten in 
number perhaps, were dressed in uniforms, but of various 
colors and fashions, which had been adopted, as chance, 
or the visit of some man of war, gave them an opportu- 
nity for purchasing. White pantaloons were indulged 
in by all, but the state of them indicated either a ludi- 
crous deficiency of material, or a peculiar taste for imita- 
ting small clothes, which they were essentially, as far as 
regards dimensions. One or two of these worthies wore 
a pair of stockings, but most of them inserted their feet 
into thick leather boxes, without any intervening obsta- 
cle. The garb of one of these gentleman struck me as 
entirely anomalous. It consisted of a clergyman's black 
coat, of a most peaceful character, transmuted into the 
" horrid aspect of war," by means of sundry red stripes 
about half an inch wide bounding the outline of the coat, 
around which v/as buckled a bright red sword belt, a 
combination of colors that was quite enchanting. Tne 
officers of the queen's guards are undoubtedly the high- 
est chic's of the nation, no very illustrious personages, 
one would infer from the fact, that they have been seen 
paddling oflT to a man-of war, with nothing but a maro 
around the waist, to solicit the privilege of washing the 
clothes of any one who would favor them with his pat- 



284 TAHITI. 

ronage, from the officer who promenaded the quarter 
deck, down to jack before the mast. These are speci- 
mens of much of the nobility of the Pacific Islands. 
Behind the officers were seated the privates, with an 
approach towards similarity in their uniforms, which 
were blue, and at a distance, would have appeared very- 
well, but whose diversity of trimming was revealed by 
our proximity. Some of these coats were buttoned 
together ; others had fastenings of hooks and eyes, and 
not a few, were held together by the ingenious device of 
drawing a threaded needle from side to side, which from 
appearances, must have taken wonderful strides in many 
instances. The nether garments of the soldiery, were 
always white, but in many instances, prepared without 
observing this invariable law of nature, that a large man 
requires garments of corresponding proportions. The 
ingenuity one of these displayed in devising expedients 
was highly creditable to him. By some miscalculation, 
his coat and pantaloons, when adjusted to his person, 
were found not to be within six inches of one another, 
which disclosed a "hiatus valde deflendus," between 
the top of his nether garments, and the edge of his coat. 
In this crisis, he had procured a large black silk necker- 
chief, which encircling his waist, and secured in a huge 
knot in front, effectually concealed the unskil fulness of 
his tailor. The soldiers, agreeably to the advice of the 
missionaries, leave their muskets at their quarters, upon 
the Sabbath, and carry nothing but ramrods. Their 
principal employment, as well as that of their officers, 
appeared to be in criticising and admiring the peculiar 
taste each one had displayed, in the decoration of his 
uniform. Queen Pomare seemed to be extremely 
anxious to exhibit her soldiery advantageously, and 
many were the searching looks she darted in among 



aUEEN POMARE. 285 

them, to see if any were indulging in their propensity to 
avail themselves of the occasion, for repose. The con- 
gregation was rather disorderly, owing to the constant 
restlessness of some, who were running in and out of 
the church every few minutes. Tahitians are extremely 
fond of dress and show, and althouofh the maintenance 
of one hundred and fifty men— of which the royal body 
guard consists — is impoverishing the nation, yet they 
are not discontended, as their ruling passion is gratified. 
The queen is constantly endeavoring to augment the 
grandeur of her appearance, much to the injury of the 
finances of her government, and notwithstanding the 
heavy expense she incurred in the equipment of this 
body of men, she has sent orders to Sydney, in New 
Holland, for additional articles. Her principal object at 
present, in collecting together, and keeping under arms 
so large a body of men — large in proportion to the popu- 
lation — is for the purpose of making a grand display in 
an intended excursion to some of the leeward islands, 
which has been determined upon every few days for the 
last six weeks, and as often postponed. Several days 
after seeing her at church, we were alarmed on board 
the Flora, by the discharge of artillery at intervals of 
every few minutes, the rolling drums, and the gathering 
of a dense throng of natives upon the beach, in gay cos- 
tumes. The three or four small vessels, belonging to 
her majesty, were crowded to overflowing, the sails were 
hoisted, and the national colors were gaily waving 
from masthead, when an unlooked for obstacle presented 
itself, which put a stop to all further proceedings. In 
the eagerness for commencing the excursion, the idea 
did not occur that these little vessels might not possess 
sufficiently ample dimensions for the large retinue that 
were to attend her majesty, and it was not until it was 



286 TAHITI. 

demonstrated, in the present instance, that the fact was 
apparent, and the expedition was, of necessity, postponed, 
much to the chagrin of her majesty. So desirous is she 
of making a constant display, that she never appears in 
public, without being followed by half a dozen soldiers, 
who step with a becoming consciousness of their proxim- 
ity to royalty. On a subsequent day, when she was 
returning to Papeete from a visit to point Venus, the 
attempt at magnificence hada semblance of the ludicrous. 
As soon as the royal barge — in this case, a whaleboat, 
was seen entering the bay, with the national ensign 
waving proudly over her Tahitian majesty, a salute was 
fired by one of her loyal subjects, who was stationed 
upon the beach with a musket in his hand, which he 
continued to load and discharge with as much rapidity 
as possible, until her majesty reached the shore, exhibit- 
ing the most praiseworthy zeal upon the occasion. 
Pomare is a constant attendant upon church, but is 
scrupulously careful to appear in the afternoon, in a 
different dress from the one she assumed in the morning. 
This is however, the prevailing fashion among the elite 
of Tahiti, in which respect, they imitate the fashionables 
at some of our watering places, whose constant study, in 
some instances, appears to be, the acquisition of the 
cameleon-like property, of changing the hue of their 
garb every time they appear in public. The Tahitians 
are a finer looking race than the Hawaiians ; for their 
features are more regular and their complexion is of a 
lighter shade of color. The men are generally tall and 
well formed, and the women are many of them, very 
pretty, with their long dark hair hanging gracefully over 
their shoulders, relieved by some bright flower inter- 
woven with their tresses ; and my taste for the beautiful 
was in no instance shocked with ugliness, as was fre- 



TAHITIAN SOLDIERS. 287 

quently the case at the Hawaiian islands. It is as- 
tonishing at wha.t an early age they arrive at maturi- 
ty. I saw numbers of them afterwards, whose ages 
were far from what I should have judged from their 
appearance ; for they look older at thirteen, than Ame- 
rican women do at the age of twenty-three or twenty- 
five. At the church, the congregation was very well 
dressed, and presented a neat appearance that was 
highly creditable to them. The singing was very de- 
lightful, although it was entirely unlike any thing 1 
have ever heard before. The Tahitians have such a 
natural faculty for music, that they not only catch a 
tune with readiness, but even adapt symphonious parts 
to it ; and their voices blend together in a strange, 
but agreeable harmony. The church is a large and 
convenient edifice, and the rafters and frame work 
supporting the roof are concealed in part, by orna- 
mental matting extending ten or fifteen feet upwards 
from the wall. 

At the conclusion of the services, the soldiery were ex- 
tended from the church door in two parallel rows, facing 
inwards, between which the royal party marched to the 
head of the column, and then led the way in solemn state, 
along the beach, through the dust and over the stones, 
shells and bones, strewn plentifully in their path, instead 
of a direct course to the "palace" by a delightful road, 
which led along under the cool bread-fruit groves. This 
preference had no other object than to present an impo- 
sing pageant to the shipping at anchor in the harbor. 

In company with a friend, I took a walk through the 
lovely grove back of the beach, to the " palace," by which 
appellation the queen's residence is known to the foreign 
residents. It is the largest house in Papeete, though but 



288 TAHITI. 

one story high, running up in a peaked roof of thatch, 
and having a wide piazza extending entirely across the 
front. It is situated within an enclosure of green grass, 
and presents a somewhat pretty appearance, although as 
a royal residence it would be thought rather humble. 
At the gate were lounging three sentinels, whose attitudes 
indicated a judicious regard to their personal comfort. 
As the royal cortege had not yet come in sight, we seat- 
ed ourselves in the piazza to av/ait its approach, and be- 
fore long it was seen deploying through the trees. The 
officers of the household came first, who separated at the 
entrance, and walking in solemn style up to the door 
step, faced inwards, with hats doffed, while Queen Po- 
mare and Pomare-tane passed between them, and took 
their seats in the piazza, as the soldiery were arranging 
themselves in the form of a crescent upon the green 
sward in front of us. Meanwhile I shook hands with 
the king, with whom I had previously been made ac- 
quainted, and was then presented to her Tahitian majes- 
ty, by my friend. The " presentation" was divested of 
any court formalities, and consisted in merely shaking 
hands, and saying ^'- Your honor boy," which is the ex- 
act sound, when spoken rapidly, of the native salutation, 
"iaoranaoe," or "peace be with you." Her majes- 
ty was not very communicative, as all her attention was 
absorbed in watching the movements of her guards, and 
in refreshing herself with plentiful draughts from a co- 
coanut which had been brought to her the moment 
she arrived, while Pomare-tane produced some cigars, 
and offering one to me, adjusted himself for smoking 
with the utmost tranquility. In imitation of the 
queen, I called for a cocoanut and refreshed myself 
with its delicious beverage, entertaining the most be- 



seamen's chapel. 289 

nevolent wishes for the prosperity of Her Tahitian 
Majesty. 

The soldiers, as I have before said, were marshalUng 
themselves in a semicircle in front of the palace, to be 
reviewed by the queen. At the word of command, they 
succeeded in averting their faces, although some of them 
manifested a stronof indecision of mind, with reofard to 
those opposite positions of the body, "front" and "rear." 
After going through the intricate maneuvrcs of present- 
ing their faces and their backs to the royal vision, they 
were dismissed, and my friend and I took our leave of 
their majesties. 

Feeling rather unwell, I went aboard the ship, and 
did not attend service at the foreign chapel on that day, 
but upon the succeeding Sabbath evening, I made my 
way thither. The foreign chapel is a little wooden 
building, painted white, and is situated close upon the 
beach. It is not plastered within, and its general appear- 
ance would remind one, of those rude edifices for wor- 
ship found in some of the Southern and Western states 
of the Union, of so dubious an aspect, that the traveller 
is doubtful what may have been the original intentions 
of the builders, v/hether they had a barn or a meeting- 
house in contemplation, in their architectural designs. 
The service was conducted by a Mr. Howe, no ways re- 
markable, I should judge, except for his plump, John 
Bull person, and for the use of the word "circumstan- 
ces," which recurred not less than forty or fifty times, 
during the varied performances. The hymns were sung 
in that primitive style, which obtained when hymn- 
books were a rarity, the preacher reading two lines to be 
sung by the congregation, and then two more, and so on 
through the hymn. The music was tolerably good, but 

S5 



290 TAHITI. 

widely diiferent in style from our own church music, 
the general tenor of which is more plaintive and pos- 
sesses a higher degree of sentiment than theirs 
which is more rapid, but less expressive. Upon the 
whole, I was well pleased with the exercises, and the 
audience appeared to be so, by the attention they 
manifested. 



CHAPTER XXIY. 

TAHITI. 

Police — Coral — Fishing by Torchlight — Diseases — Annoyances 
— Moonlight at Papeete — Shaving the head — Native gostuivie 
— Novel engineering — Climbing the Cocoanut tree. 

The principal power of the nation is vested in seven 
judges, who constitute a supreme court of appeal, and, I 
have been informed, have even power enough to try the 
king and queen for criminal offences. Next to these aro 
the police officers, a numerous class, whose particular 
province it is to make domiciliary visits to check the er- 
ratic propensities of the natives during the night. They 
are pronounced to be a band of great rascals, as well as 
the patrol, a gang of night walkers who wander about 
Papeete, and catch up any unlucky wight they may hap- 
pen to come across, and convey him to the guard house 
for the night. A gun is fired at eight o'clock, and anoth- 
er follows at a quarter of an hour afterwards, when these 
desperadoes sally forth in different directions with all 
avidity for their prey. If any of them are successful a 
shrill whistle is heard, at which they gather around the 
captive, and he is walked off into durance vile, the pa- 
trol keeping step in regular cadence. The next morn- 
ing, the prisoner is informed in the most delicate man- 
ner, that wayfaring men cannot be sought after so dili- 
gently, and provided with a night's lodging without ade- 
quate compensation, two dollars, for instance. The pe- 



292 TAHITI. 

culiar tramp of the gang along the beach, and the hissing 
" whish — whish !" which accompanied their step, always 
informed us aboard the Flora, that a prisoner v/sls under 
conveyance to his quarters. This order of police was 
instituted a short time since, to prevent the nocturnal sal- 
lies of seamen from the ships, but these zealous execu- 
tors of the law, find it very difficult to discriminate. Not- 
withstanding their enthusiasm, which induces them to 
adopt too strict a construction of the law, in many in- 
stances, these worthy citizens have accomplished some 
good in the purification of pubUc morals. 

The language of the Tahitians is similar to the Ha- 
waiian, and many words are the same in both — a most 
remarkable circumstance when it is recollected that Ta- 
hiti and the Hawaiian islands are about two thousand 
three hundred miles apart. Similarity of language 
among the various islanders of Polynesia, has given rise 
to many interesting speculations relating to the exist- 
ence upon islands so widely remote from one another of 
different people having a common origin. 

At the head of the bay, the water is shallow, close in 
shore, and so clear that the beautiful coral trees growing 
upon the bottom, were distinctly seen. The corals and 
madripores are of every variety of form and color, and 
some of them are extremely beautiful. I often amused 
myself by stopping in the boat over these fantastic for- 
ests, and hooking up as many specimens of coral as I 
could take care of Some of them resembled blown 
sugar in appearance and structure, and were tinged with 
many exquisite hues of green, red and purple. There 
were also many varieties of fish to diversify the picture : 
the most numerous, were little fish about an inch long, 
of a splendid blue tint, that seemed like sapphires flitting 
about in the coraline forest below. 



FISHING. 293 

There are but few canoes at Papeete, and these are 
long, misshapen things, and, except in size, far inferior to 
the canoes of the Hawaiian Islands. Some of them 
were large, carrying i:iiige sails made of mats, which 
would instantly have upset them, did not those who 
were navigating them, stretch themselves far out upon 
the outriggers of their frail craft, which are impelled 
forwards with great velocity, dashing the spray high 
into the air. The natives carry on tiieir fishing opera- 
tions principally by torchlight, and every evening, soon 
after dark, bright lights were seen gleaming over the 
glassy surface of the bay, occasionally shooting out 
brilliant scintillations, that disclosed more vividly the 
dark figures of the natives in their canoes. Sometimes 
they were ranged in a long line not far from the reef; 
and then they dispersed, gliding noiselessly with their 
glaring torches. Euch canoe usually contained two 
men, one to direct its movements, and the other, who 
stood in the bow, to carry the torch, by which the fish 
were attracted to the surface of the water, and were then 
struck by the spear which was darted with unerring 
aim. They sometimes came close up to the ship, and I 
saw several fish with bright silvery sides, taken in this 
way. This sport they continue to a late hour of the 
night, and are generally successful, but they very rarely 
offer their fish for sale at the residences of the foreigners, 
who consider them highly delicious. Two of our pas- 
sengers, the day before we sailed from Papeete, partook 
freely of some fine fish at the house of one of the foreign 
residents, and a few hours afterwards, were seized with 
excruciating pain and distress, accompanied with deadly 
nausea. The attack continued for two or three hours, 
with scarcely any alleviation, and then passed off grad- 
ually, leaving them very mucfi debilitated. Of those 

2^* 



294 TAHITI. 

who partook of the fish, none beside these were unpleas- 
antly affected, and the conclusion was, that the poison- 
ous properties of the fish resided in some particular part, 
which was eaten by the sufferers. Such attacks are very 
common among the natives, and are analogous to those 
that occurred on board the Flora, in her passage 
down from Honolulu, with the exception of nausea 
which was not present in the latter. There is a singular 
relationship subsisting among the Tahitians, called 
" Friends," which implies that individuals, whether of 
the same or the opposite sex, conceiving a fancy for one 
another, unite in a covenant of inviolable friendship, 
which requires either party to assist the other in all 
emergencies, and to be faithful to his interests. This 
obligation also involves the necessity of frequent presents, 
a source of great annoyance to the foreign residents, 
happening to have a " friend," who has no hesitation in 
signifying his desire to possess any article belonging to 
the other that he may fancy, an appeal which must be 
complied with, by every law of politeness existing 
among them. 

Scrofulous complaints are very prevalent among 
those that live on the island of Tahiti, both foreisfners 
and natives. I saw several instances of large tumors 
upon the neck, and heard of many cases of those who 
were reduced to the last stages of misery by these terrible 
deformities. A gentleman expressed his opinion, that 
these glandular disorders were undoubtedly to be attrib- 
uted to the peculiar nature of the water in the rills 
descending the mountains, a cause analogous to what 
1 have somewhere read, as assigned for the prevalence 
of similar disorders among the mountains of Switzerland. 
The elephantiasis, a most singular deformity, bloating 
up the muscles of the limbs to twice their ordinary size. 



PAt>EETE BAY. 295 

is no uncommon disease. An instance came under my 
observation, of a man whose lower limbs were swollen 
to prodigious dimensions, so that he presented a most 
uncouth figure, particularly in walking. It is rarely 
painful, but the deformity of the appearance, and the 
task of transporting such a mass of superfluous matter, 
must be highly afflictive to the suiferer. 

Our original intention in stopping at Tahiti, was to 
land one or two of our passengers with their effects, and 
then to put to sea as soon as possible, after procuring 
supplies of various kinds. But instead of being detained 
but a day or two, we did not get away from Papeete in 
less than two weeks, Captain S. having determined to 
take aboard the Flora, the oil belonging to the Alex- 
ander Mansfield. Meanwhile, all the passengers, took 
up their residence on shore, wherever they could find 
accommodations, except myself, who paid dearly for my 
preference of the ship. We then hauled up alongside 
the dismantled whaler, within a few rods of shore, to 
receive her cargo, consisting of a thousand barrels of oil. 

Papeete bay is on the lee side of Tahiti, as I before 
observed, and the lofty mountains that rise in the back 
iground, almost entirely interrupt the cool trade wind 
which is so grateful in the tropics, and the sun beats 
j-lown in all his intensity upon the shipping in the bay, 
[although on shore, the temperature is very agreeable in 
the shady bread-fruit groves. On board the Flora, the 
refreshing sea breeze, blowing in from the westward, was 
intercepted by the code's galley and the long boat, so 
that scarcely a breath of air mitigated the scorching 
heat that pervaded the quarter deck. The thermometer, 
suspended in the companion way, stood as high as 98°, 
and the deck became heated to such a degree, that the 
temperature of the cabin was like that of a furnace. 



296 TAHITI. 

Besides this burning heat that was almost suffocating-, 
swarms of venomous musquitoes harassed me during the 
night with their stings and incessant buzzing, so that my 
anticipations of spending the night, were deplorable 
enough. To give some idea of their number, I will just 
mention what destruction ensued among them at our 
vengeful hands. Captain S., killed over a hundred in 
one day, and I destroyed so many that I lost my reckon- 
ing of them altogether. Their virulence was as remark- 
able as their numbers, for while we were conofratulatinor 
ourselves upon their having taken their flight from not 
having heard them for some time, they would suddenly 
"start up like hydras from every corner," and attack us 
with a perseverance and determination that made us 
desperate. To escape the intense heat on board ship, I 
rambled among the bread-fruit and cocoa-nut groves, 
whose cool shades were most delightfully reviving. 
Most of my walks were taken very early in tlie morning, 
before the sun was up, and nothing could be more 
refreshing, after the adventures of the night, than a 
ramble among these cool groves, shaded with the dark 
broad leaves of the bread-fruit tree, or the waving cocoa- 
nut, and varied by the orange and lime with their rich 
yellow fruit, and the bright green of the banana. The 
stillness of the hour, the invigorating air, and the merry 
notes of the birds, impressed me with the liveliest emo- 
tions of pleasure. But after the sun had set beyond the 
mountain peaks of Eimeo, and the fair moon, 

" Apparent queen, unveiled her peerless light, 
And o'er the dark her silvery mantle threw," 

a scene of enchantment bursts upon the view, such as 
one's early imagination may have pictured to himself, 
while roaming in fancy to the fairy isles of the Pacific. 
The moon rising from the dark mountains above, with 



THE NATIVES. 297 

a brilliancy unknown without the tropics, tinges the 
prominent trees of the groves, and brings their outline 
vividly to view, deepening their shades, and giving to the 
cocoa-nut trees a strangely fantastic appearance. The 
still waters of the bay reflect her beams from its glassy 
surface, in which, along the well defined margin of the 
shore, the tall trees are seen depicted with the vividness 
of magic. The fisherman's torch, gliding slowly along, 
seems to struggle with her overpowering beams, and as 
she mounts towards the zenith, she pours in a flood of 
mellow light upon the ocean that sullenly roars upon 
the reef without, and upon the silent earth, tinging the 
dark grove, and gentle hillock, and tall mountain peaks, 
and rendering all nature a fairy scene. From the shore 
too, we were charmed with the singing of the natives, 
which rose upon the still evening air with a harmony 
like soft voices mingling in perfect concert with instru- 
mental music. The singing of the natives has a slight 
nasal twang, that gives it a sound similar to instru- 
mental music, and their voices chord together in a har- 
mony unlike any thing I have ever heard before. In 
this respect, the Tahiiians far surpass the Hawaiians. 
whose monotonous cadences, as they passed my room 
at Honolulu, were very annoying. Many of the Tahi- 
tian tunes are variations of old tunes familiar with us* 
"God save the King:," and a sacred tune called " Cam- 
bridge," were readily recognized ; and there v/ere several 
others, which I found were old acquaintances. I often 
wished that some of my friends in the United States 
could have been transported to Papeete during those 
glorious evenings, which pres<3nted a picture of varied 
beauties, the tout ensemble approaching nearer to a scene 
of enchantment, than any thing I have ever before wit- 
liessedj even among the verdant lawns and majestic 



298 TAHITI. 

elms, of loved New Haven. The foreign residents at 
Papeete are very hospitable, with but few exceptions, 
and give you carte blanche to all they have. There are 
but few national animosities indulged in, such as are too 
prevalent at Honohilu. Their interests also, are an ar- 
gument for unanimity, to present a formidable obstacle 
to the capricious disposition of the government. They 
are all united in representing the native character, as the 
worst that can be imagined ; but many of them are not 
very solicitous about improving it, as far as my observa- 
tion extended. There are, doubtless, many natives of 
unexceptionable moral character, and many, it is to be 
hoped, thai are truly pious people, but the tide of moral- 
ity is at a very low ebb at Papeete. 

The Tahitians, with many other islanders of the Pa- 
cific, have a very singular fashion of shaving their heads 
close to the skin, with the exception of a bushy lock just 
above their ears. At Tahiti, before razors came into gen- 
eral use, it was customary to perform this operation with 
shark's teeth, an extremely painful process ; and in many of 
the other islands of the Pacific, the practice is still continu- 
ed. I could hardly discover any reason for this singular 
practice, especial ly as most of them go bareheaded, exposing 
their unprotected craniums to the intense heat of the sun. 
Fashion is apt to be irrespective of comfort; but the Tahi- 
tian is not at all more ridiculous in his compliance with 
the fashions of his country, than are its votaries in more 
enlightened society, whose limping gait in one instance, 
and impeded respiration in another, betray the penalties 
they are inflicting upon themselves for their subservience 
to its dictates. Besides, as a matter of taste, shaving the 
face is no greater improvement upon nature, that I can 
perceive, than shaving the head. Many of the customs 
of our own country would appear ridiculous to one v/ho 



NATIVE COSTUME. 299 

had never been acquainted with them, if analyzed by a 
process that would very naturally occur to his mind. 

In the groves, 1 have occasionally fallen in with Ta- 
hitians that were at work, and had laid their garments 
aside, displaying very beautiful and tasteful figures tat- 
tood all over their persons, which consisted of every vari- 
ety of curve, as well as of sprigs and branches of trees, 
and of flowers and animals. While at the Hawaiian 
islands, I saw some instances of tattooing, but it was ve- 
ry limited and not remarkably pretty. The women in 
general were slightly tattood around the ankle, as a sub- 
stitute for open-worked hosiery. At Honolulu, I saw 
several Marquesas Islanders, whose faces were tattood 
in every imaginable curve, which gave their faces a 
most grotesque expression. 

The costume of the Tahitians consists of a kind of 
mantle which covers the upper part of the person, and 
reaches do a n to the parao, a piece of cloth about two 
yards long, which is wound around the waist, and ex- 
tends just below the knees. The parao is also worn by 
the other sex, but is concealed by the long gown that 
constitutes the female costume. The men as would 
readily be supposed, have a very singular aspect, with 
their calico paraos waving in the wind and giving to 
them a most un masculine appearance. A naked Tahi- 
tian is a very rare object, and in this respect they are far 
superior to their brethren of the Hawaiian islands, among 
whom, specimens of the " human form divine," may be 
seen moving about in every direction with nothing but 
the maro to conceal the contour of their figures. If 
the taste of the Hawaiians is less sensitive, however, 
than that of the Tahitians, they have the advantage in 
energy and industry, over their petticoated neighbors. 

One afternoon while 1 was aboard the ship, I witness- 



300 TAHITI. 

ed a novel exhibition of mechanical power. Within a 
small enclosure upon the beach, but a few rods off, a 
dense throng of natives had been engaged in warm dis- 
cussion, as we judged by the animation of their tones, 
when all of them, to the number of several hundreds, 
proceeded en masse to a short distance above where we 
lay, and then another eloquent discussion ensued, which 
we supposed from the vehemence of their actions, in- 
volved the consideration of some affair of vital import- 
ance to the existence of the nation. The populace seem- 
ed to be upon the eve of insurrection, in which they 
were about to inflict summary vengeance upon an offend- 
er ; and the idle curiosity with which we first watched 
their movements, assumed a deeper interest, as we saw 
them gathering with violent gesticulations, around a stout 
framework constructed like a gallows, and we looked ea- 
gerly in the expectation of seeing the culprit dragged 
from the throng, and condemned to instant execution. 
In an hour or more, our doubts and apprehensions were 
removed, and the agitation with which we viewed the 
scene, subsided. But neither the shedding of blood, nor 
violence of any kind was in contemplation, but the re- 
moval of a large log. which lay at the water's edge, was 
determined upon. To one end of this, a strong hav/ser 
was secured, and then two or three hundred of them ea- 
gerly seized hold of it, and prepared to drag it along the 
beach to the place of its destination. The arrangements 
were made with loud vociferations, and when everything 
was reader, with three loud cheers that resounded simul- 
taneously throughout the multitude, the log was started 
from its repose, and moved slowly along the beach, the 
throng keeping time with a regular cadence of their feet, 
and v/ith a loud hissing sound like " whish — whish !'' 
bursting forth from the crov/d at short intervals. The 



NOVEL ENGINEERING. 301 

procession was directed by four marshals, who ran up 
and down the lines in the most enthusiastic manner, 
stimulating them with the poles they carried by right of 
office ; while the fair Tahitian ladies, attired in their gay- 
est robes, with their long dark tresses decked with bright 
flowers, and their brilliant eyes flashing with animation 
at the sight, inspired the young men to valorous deeds. 
The distance to the place where the log was deposited, 
was rather more than a quarter of a mile, and when I 
considered the peculiar mode they had adopted for re- 
moving logs, I was at no loss in accounting for their ve- 
hement and protracted debate upon the occasion. It was 
a method, I confess, which would not readily have oc- 
curred to any one's mind. A plan, more naturally sug- 
gesting itself, would be to have employed rollers, or better 
still, the log might have been floated to any required place 
along the beach. This incident exhibits the eloquence 
of language and of gesticulation which the Polynesian 
islanders throw into every thing that interests them, 
compared with which our conduct appears tame and 
phlegmatic. 

In one of my morning walks, I had a fine opportunity 
of witnessing the method pursued by the natives in 
climbing the cocoanut tree, which, as I have before ob- 
sen^ed, runs up in a branchless and leafless trunk to the 
height of fifty or sixty feet, at the very top of which it 
is crowned with broad waving leaves, among which the 
fruit is found adhering to the trunk. The loftiness of 
these trees, whose branchless aspect makes their ascent 
appear impracticable to a novice, was evidently intended 
by nature as a stimulus to the sluggish natives of tropi- 
cal climates, where she has displayed herself with a lux- 
uriance that calls for but little exertion to obtain the 
means of subsistence. Desirous of obtaining a fine 

26 



302 TAHITI. 

bunch of cocoatiuts that were growing upon the summit 
of one of the loftiest of these trees, 1 succeeded in coming 
to terms with the owner of them, after a protracted dis- 
cussion upon the terms of the agreement. The natives 
of Polynesia never transact any business, however un- 
important, without having canvassed the subject to the 
utmost extent of which it is susceptible, and the plan ot 
proceedings is definitely settled, when nothing more 
whatsoever can be said to elucidate the subject. In this 
respect they resemble many of our legislators, who are 
frequently not contented with the discusson of a question, 
however unimportant in its bearing, until the impossi- 
bility of advancing any thing more, compels them to put 
a period to their eloquence, after consuming much more 
time than the importance of the subject ought to require. 
The necessary stipulations being made with the own- 
er of the cocoanuts, a long line is produced, with which, 
a boy, having his feet fettered with a short rope, so that 
they are twelve or fourteen inches apart, commences 
ascending the tree. Pressing his feet against the trunk, 
the friction of the rope gives him a good foothold, while 
with his hands clasped together around the body of the 
tree, he vaults upwards with surprising agility, and dis- 
engages the nuts with a hatchet, which he carries up 
with him, and lowers them down with the rope. There 
were eight or ten nuts in the bunch, for which I paid but 
twenty-five cents, a sum I would willingly have given, 
to have witnessed the activity of the native in the ascent 
of the tree. 



CHAPTER XXV. 

TAHITI. 

Fruits — Cocoanut oil — Sugau — Guava — Breadfruit — Tide. 

Tahiti produces all the fruits of a tropical climate, in 
the utmost abundance and luxuriance of growth. Oran- 
ges of the most delicious quality, are sold in immense 
quantities, at the rate of fifty cents per hundred. They 
are prepared so as to keep for a long time without decay 
by selecting them with care and drying: them in the sun, 
which partially evaporates the moisture of the rind, with- 
out impairing the juices of the orange. The pine apples 
of Tahiti are excellent, but by no means equal to those 
we procured at Tacames, while I was in the North 
America. Lemons attain a very large size, and are en- 
cased in a thick rind, and lime trees are so numerous 
and prolific, that hardly a ship touches here without pur- 
chasing a quantity of lime juice, prepared by fermenting 
it with chalk, which removes the impurities, and enables 
it to keep in excellent preservation for years. Whalers, 
visiting Papeete, usually purchase a barrel or more ol 
this article, whose anti-scorbutic properties are well 
known, for the benefit of their crews during their long 
voyages. The purchaser must have a sharp eye to his 
own interest, for the sagacity of the natives teaches them 



304 TAHITI. 

that when a barrel is half full of water, only half as 
much lime juice is required to fill it, as if the barrel were 
empty. The citron flourishes extensively upon these 
islands, and is similar in appearance to a lemon, with 
an extremely thick rind, which is the only part appro- 
priated to preserving. The East India citron, such as 
is found in our markets, is superior however, in all re- 
spects. The vi is a rough tree, in aspect somewhat like 
the oak, and sometimes grows to a great size, sending 
out numerous excrescences from its trunk. The fruit 
very nearly resembles our egg-plumb in its appearance. 
Of the banana and plantain family, there are numerous 
varieties. They are sometimes prepared for preserving 
by cutting them into slices, and drying them in the sun, 
which covers them with saccharine matter drawn out by 
the heat. There is a variety of banana or plantain, call- 
ed the /ei ("fayee") or mountain banana, growing wild 
in the mountains and highlands, and very dissimilar to 
the other kinds except in shape. It rises upward from 
the stalk, instead of depending downwards from it, as is 
the case in the other kinds, and its color is of a bright 
chrome yellow, with a rind of a brilliant red tint. The 
taste of the boiled /<?^, reminds one of our parsnips ; but 
it is unfit to be eaten raw, and I thought it inferior to the 
other varieties of the banana. The taro thrives luxuri- 
antly upon all these islands, and consists of two varieties 
one of which requires a low, marshy, watery soil, and 
the other grows upon dryer ground. Poi is not so fa- 
vorite an article of food with the Tahitians as with the 
Hawaiians, among whom poi and fish are almost the on- 
ly articles of subsistence. The former, however, prepare 
a delicious compound of taro, cocoanut, and bread-fruit 
called poi-poi, and another made of feis, taro, bread-fruit 
and cocoanut, called poi-maia^ both of which have a ve- 



COCOANUT OIL. 305 

ry rich and agreeable flavor. The cocoamit grows in 
immense quantities upon Tahiti and the adjacent islands. 
The natives almost always take the nuts from the trees 
for eating, when they are yet green, at a period of ad- 
vancement, when the kernel is in the incipient state ot 
pulp, and the shell very soft. In this state, they can be 
eaten with a spoon, and contain from a pint to a quart of 
slightly acidulous, and most refreshing beverage. So 
plentiful are cocoanuts, that 1 saw canoes every day, la- 
den down the water's edge with them, traversing the bay, 
and the established price was one dollar per hundred. 
They were old cocoanuts, however, and the principal 
use to which they were applied, was in obtaining oil from 
them. For this purpose, the kernel is chopped up into 
fine pieces, and placed in a trough, which is inclined 
sufficiently for the oil, when expelled by the heat of the 
sun, to trickle down into a reservoir. This oil is used 
very extensively in the manufacture of soap, and for lu- 
bricating machinery, as well as for other purposes. Its 
value in the manufacture of soap, can hardly be appre- 
ciated by people in the United States, among whom, a 
large proportion of meat in their diet, supplies the soap 
dealer with soap-o:rease in abundance. Throughout the 
Pacific, soap is usually a great desideratum ; for the food 
of the natives, consisting principally, offish and vegeta- 
bles, affords them nothing out of which to make this es- 
sential article of domestic economy. The greater part of 
the cocoanut oil, is exported to Sydney, in New Holland, 
where it is applied to various purposes of the arts. A 
few years since, the annual manufacture of cocoanut oil 
exceeded one hundred tons, which was generally sold to 
foreiofners in small parcels by the natives, in exchange 
for articles of merchandize. Now, scarcely any is pre- 
.^ared from the immense quantities of cocoanuts that fall 

26* 



306 TAHITI. 

from the trees, owing to an arbitrary enactment of the 
government which forbids the natives selHng any nuts 
or oil to foreigners, unless upon receiving a stipulated 
amount of merchandize for a certain quantity of oil or 
nuts. The consequence is, that merchants finding the 
exchange to be unprofitable to themselves refuse to 
purchase, and thus the preparation of the oil is stopped. 

There are several sugar plantations upon these islands, 
and the culture of the cane is rapidly extending from 
year to year. The sugar is of excellent quality, though 
it is damp, the process of drying, after granulating, not 
being well understood. During the past year, there 
were one hundred and seventy-four tons manufactured 
upon Tahiti, by the natives, and by the foreign residents ; 
but in the manufacture of this article, the Tahitians are 
far behind their brethren of the north Pacific, as they 
are indeed in almost every thing else. The sugar and 
molasses on board the " Flora," amounting to one hun- 
dred tons of sugar, and eighty casks of molasses — came 
from the island of Kauai, and is but a portion of what 
was manufactured upon that island. There are besides, ex- 
tensive cane fields upon the other islands of the Hawaiian 
group. The sugar of the Hawaiian islands is very well 
manufactured, and is put up in bags woven out of rushes 
by the natives, each of them containing from fifty to seven- 
ty pounds. This sugar has almost as many gradations in 
in hue as there are shades of color in the human race. 
There is the clayed sugar, similar to the white Havana ; 
then come light brown, brown, browner, broxonest, in a 
long continued series, until you arrive at an opacity and 
blackness of color, that would satisfy the most rigid 
economist. 

The guava is at once the bane and blessing of Tahiti. 
That its prolific and erratic nature is rapidly usurping 



G U A V A . 307 

the verdure that once crowned this lovely isle, must be 
apparent to the most careless observer, who has had op- 
portunity to witness its intruding progress. The guava, of 
which the world cannot present finer specimens, grows 
upon a bush from six to twelve feet in height, which in 
full bearing would forcibly remind one of the quinces of 
New England. The fruit is about the size and shape ot 
a quince, and is of a brilliant yellow color, shaded with a 
carmine tinge. Within, there is a cavity, occupying half 
the dimensions of the fruit, which is filled with number- 
less seeds about the size of grape stones, held together by 
a thick glutinous substance. The color of the interior 
is of deep crimson, and the flavor of the fruit very closely 
resembles that of the strawberry ; but like most tropical 
fruits, it is rather unpalatable, upon tasting it for the first 
time. So extremely abundant is the guava, that the 
Tahitians allow their swine to roam at large, and grow 
fat upon the fruit which lies neglected upon the ground ; 
and the season when guavas are ripe, is hailed with a 
most enthusiastic grunt of thanksgiving from all expe- 
rienced porkers, that have been dragging their emaciated 
carcasses along the beach in eager anticipations of enjoy- 
ing a glorious return, of what they have such pleasing 
recollections. The rapid usurpation of the soil by the 
guava, is indeed, a serious evil, but, as a gentleman 
observed to me, the time will come, when the Tahi- 
tians, alarmed at the prospect of destruction impending 
over the island, if the guava obtains the ascendency, 
will throw ofi" their indolence, and extirpate it from their 
soil. Thus, by rousing themselves to exertion against 
>the invader, they will have acquired a momentum in the 
path of industry, which will not soon be stopped, so that 
this evil will prove to be a blessing. 

There are very few melons to be had at Tahiti, and 



308 TAHITI. 

culinary vegetables are rare, a scarcity severely felt by 
the foreign residents. Sweet potatoes of the yellow 
kind, are cultivated in sufficient quantities, but are far 
inferior to those we had at Honolulu. The sweet pota- 
toes ordered for the barque Flora, were unfortunately of 
very diminutive proportions, and were traversed by little 
veins of the bitterest substance imaginable, which was 
owing to their having grown upon worn out land. Such 
is their bitterness, that he who has been enjoying one of 
these " roots," and any thing of the vegetable kind 
becomes a luxury at sea — is suddenly brought to a dead 
stand, while carrying on the process of mastication, and 
by the most expressive contortions of his phiz, indicates 
his unfortunate collision with these bitterest of bitter 
things ; a striking emblem of the bitterness of disap- 
pointed hopes. 

But the noblest product of the ve2:etable kingdom, 
which springing up spontaneously, affords the most 
wholesome and palatable nutriment to the natives of the 
tropical islands, is the majestic bread-fruit tree. " The 
bread-fruit tree is large and umbrageous, with a rough 
bark of a light color; and the trunk is sometimes two or 
three feet in diameter, rising to the height of twelve or 
twenty feet without a branch. The outhne of the tree 
is remarkably beautiful ; the leaves are broad and in- 
dented, somewhat like those of the fig tree, frequently 
twelve or eighteen inches long, and rather thick, of a 
dark green color, with a surface glossy as that of the 
richest evergreen. The fruit is generally circular or 
oval, and is on an average, six inches in diameter ; it is 
covered with small square, or lozenge-shaped divisions, 
having each a small elevation in the centre, and is at 
first of a slight pea green color ; subsequently, it changes 
to brown, and when fully ripe, assumes a rich yellow 




J^ A. OinvUe^ 



BREAD FRUJT. 

Socie^i^ JslancCs 



2^1 f/l. of£rulic, 



BREAD-FRUIT. 309 

tinge. It is attached to the small branches of the tree 
by a short thick stalk, and hangs either singly, or in 
clusters, of two or three together. The pulp is soft, and 
in the centre, there is a hard kind of core, extending from 
the stalk to the crown, around which a few imperfect 
seeds are formed. There is nothing very pleasing in 
the blossom ; but a stately tree clothed with dark shining 
leaves, and loaded with many hundreds of large light 
green or yellowish colored fruit, is one of the most 
splendid and beautiful objects to be met with, among the 
rich and diversified scenery of a Tahitian landscape." 
The bread-fruit tree reminds one of the noble oaks we 
have in the United States, with their deep green canopy 
of glossy leaves, although its foliage is more dense than 
that of the oak. The rind of the fruit is of a cellular 
structure, having an exterior marked with pentagons and 
hexagons, and other geometrical figures, of a more 
interesting character than many that are pored over by 
the student of geometry. The cellular structure of a 
honey comb is perhaps the best illustration of the external 
appearance of the bread fruit. Upon dissection, you find 
an elongated core, of a brownish color, with delicate 
fibres radiating in every direction towards the rind. 
When the fruit has attained perfect ripeness upon the 
tree, it is of a pulpy nature, of which the natives prepare 
a fermented beverage, that they are very fond of, although 
it produces violent pains in every Umb, particularly in 
the morning. The fruit is usually plucked from the 
tree, before it is fully ripe, and then its internal aspect is 
like that of a slightly wilted turnip. To exhibit its 
qualities in perfection, it must be baked under ground in 
the native style, and is then far preferable to being baked 
in the ovens of foreigners. Prepared in this way, it is 
of a pure white, mealy appearance, reminding one most 



310 TAHITI. 

Strongly of the richest boiled chestnut, more nearly than 
any thing else occurring to my mind. While we lay at 
Tahiti. I acquired a very great fondness for the bread- 
fruit, which seemed to me the most delightful esculent I 
had ever tasted. 

The native style of preparing the bread-fruit, is similar 
to their method of cooking meats of various kmds. A 
swine that is to be cooked whole, is carefully cleansed, 
and then instead of the aromatics, which our experienced 
cook would introduce within his carcass, he receives a 
stuffing of hot stones, whose eifect is accelerated by his 
swineship being carefully laid upon a bed of red hot 
stones in a cavity in the ground. Some broad leaves are 
then spread over him, with a layer of hot stones, and he 
is allowed to repose undisturbed for some time, when he 
is roused from his quiescent condition, with a high fever 
heat upon him, but at the same time in a state of profuse 
perspiration. This method of preparing meats, which, 
en passant, is in general use throughout the Pacific 
islands, is called in the Hawaiian dialect, a liiaii (luow,) 
derived from the name of the herbs frequently cooked 
along with them. It preserves the flavor and juices of 
the animal in a much higher degree of perfection than 
the process of roasting before the fire. 

While we lay at Papeete, I had frequent opportunity 
of observing the regularity with which the tide arrived 
at its flood every day at twelve o'clock, and at its lowest 
point at six o'clock, morning and evening. It is well 
known that high tide occurs in every other part of the 
world, not at the same hour, but about fifty minutes 
later, and is principally owing to the attraction of the 
moon, which arrives upon the meridian, later by this 
time every day, about three hours before high tide ; this 
phenomenon therefore, presents a strange anomaly, 



TIDE. 311 

which has not met with a satisfactory explanation. 
"Among the natural phenomena of the south sea islands, 
the tide is one of the most singular, and presents as 
great an exception to the theory of Sir Isaac Newton, as 
is to be met with in any part of the world. The rising 
and falling of the waters of the ocean appear, if influenced 
at all, to be so in a very small degree only by the moon. 
The height to which the water rises, varies but a few 
inches during the whole year, and at no time, is it eleva- 
ted more than a foot or a foot and a half The sea, 
however, often rises to an unusual height, but this 
appears to be the effect of strong winds blowing for some 
time from one quarter, or the heavy swells of the sea, 
which flow from different directions, and prevail equally 
during the time of high and low water. But the most 
remarkable circumstance is the uniformity of the time of 
high and low water, during the year, whatever be the 
age or the situation of the moon, the water is lowest at 
six in the morning, and highest at noon and midnight. 
This is so well established, that the time of night is 
marked by the ebbing and flowing of the tide, and in all 
the islands, the term for high water and for midnight is 
the same." (Ellis's Polynesian Eesearches.) 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

THE SOUTH PACIFIC. 

Retrospect of Tahiti — Additional passengers — Accident- 
Snow— Iceberg— Religion OF sailors— Bird catching. 

Friday, September 25th., we weighed anchor at Pa- 
peete bay, and with a lowering unpropitious sky, that 
had been deluging us with rain all the morning, and had 
dyed the bay of a bright yellow, from the muddy waters 
of the swollen streams, we moved slowly out of the 
harbor, and were soon tossing upon the ocean, '' deep, 
dark, rough and shoreless'' to us, for many a month. 

In taking a retrospect of Tahiti, it appears to me, from 
the observations which I have endeavored to make with 
candor, that the " queen of the Pacific," a proud title 
that has been given to this island, is far behind any of 
the Hawaiian islands, in industry, knowledge of govern- ' 
ment, and religion. The English missionaries will 
themselves allow this ; and although many of them ^ 
have been stationed upon this and the adjoining islands ' 
for more than forty years, yet their success, when ^ 
compared with what has been accomplished by the ' 
missionaries at the Hawaiian islands, is by no means ; 
equal to what one would naturally expect. I do not say I 
this in condemnation of the English missionaries, for the | 
materials upon which their eiforts have been expended, 
may have been of an unfavourable character, or they may |, 



RETROSPECT OF TAHITI. 313 

r 

not have adopted the best possible course ; and perhaps, 
ihey have not infused that energy into their operations, 
which is so characteristic of missionary movements at 
the Hawaiian islands. The number of English mis- 
sionaries at Tahiti, bears a greater proportion to the 
population, than that of the American missionaries at the 
Hawaiian islands to the population of those islands. I 
had an opportunityof seeing and conversing with several 
of them, as an unusual number had convened at Papeete, 
to try one of their corps, who had been guilty of some 
improprieties while acting as missionary at one of the 
adjacent islands. Some of them are far advanced in life, 
and have spent about forty years upon these islands ; 
but one or two are very juvenile in their appearance. 
They are all good men, I doubt not, and are devoting 
themselves to the welfare of those among whom their 
lives are to be spent ; for there is nothing in the life of a 
missionary that is inviting, except as it calls into exer- 
cise the promptings of disinterested benevolence. Al- 
though schools have been established at Tahiti, and the 
adjoining islands, for the instruction o( the natives, yet 
there was nothing that I could discover, indicating that 
improvement and intelligence that is so apparent at 
Honolulu, and at many other places in the Hawaiian 
1 group. The American missionaries have been far more 
! enterprising in printing tracts and books in the native 
language than their brethren in the south Pacific, who 
have published nothing upon any scientific subject, and 
had but just received a complete edition of the scriptures 
: in the Tahitian language, a day or two after we arrived 
1 at Papeete, In reviewing the labors of the Hawaiian 
j missionaries, and in comparing what they have done, 
I with what has been accomplished in other islands of the 
Pacific, we cannot feel too high an admiration for the 

1 2T 



314 THE SOUTH PACIFIC. 

glorious results, which the representations of impartial 
tourists and the missionary periodicals are daily present- 
ing to the public. 

October^ 5. At Tahiti we made some additions to 
our ship's company, which restored the original number 
of passengers aboard the Flora. The poor man, who 
cut his throat soon after leaving Honolulu, and exhibited 
other marks of insanity, became so very troublesome, that 
he was discharged from the ship, and placed under the 
care of the United States Consul at Papeete, where he 
will probably end his days. A gentleman by the name 
of Hall joined us at Tahiti, a man of intelligence an4 | 
pleasing manners. He was formerly master of several 
vessels in succession, and has made repeated voyages to 
Russia and to various places in the East Indies, some 
accounts of which that he has given me in the dog- 
watches of the evening, have been highly interesting. 
Captain S., received on board the mate of the Alexander 
Mansfield, the condemned whale ship, who acts as one 
of the officers, a very important acquisition, as one of , 
our officers is disabled, and has been so for some time | 
past. It is a very pleasant thing for me to have a I 
brother whaler for a shipmate ; for although I dissolved 
my connection with whaling life, upon leaving the \ 
North America, yet I shall never cease feeling an ! 
interest in that noble service, for which I entertain : 
such a high degree of admiration. Mr. Gan— our new i 
officer — while engaged in " cutting in " a whale, several I 
years since, was walking across the deck, when he was 
knocked down by a piece of blubber, that suddenly 
swung on board, which fractured his leg, and rendered 
him lame for life. He told me, that frequently when he 
has been at the head of the boat, attending to the gear, 
which was fast to a running whale, he has been carried 



AN ACCIDENT. 315 

under, and almost strangled by the violent pitching of 
the boat in her impetuous course. Just before we 
arrived at Tahiti, an American ship had touched there, 
having met with the loss of her captain, a short time 
previously, who was killed by a stroke from the flukes 
of a whale to which he was fast, or had struck with the 
harpoon. 

After leaving Tahiti, we doubled around the island of 
Eimeo, or Morea, as it is called by the natives, which is 
in plain sight from Papeete. Its shores are thickly set 
with cocoa-nut trees, and in its general aspect it is not 
dissimilar to Tahiti. For the two or three succeeding 
days, the weather was cold and rainy, and one or two 
unpleasant scenes attendant upon the commencement of 
a voyage — for instance, sea-sickness, were enacted over 
again, by one or two of the passengers. 

October, 7. During the last night, a strong breeze 
brought the ship down to double reefed top-sails, when 
about four o'clock this morning, the main-top-sail yard 
snapped in two, but the sail was taken in, and secured, 
until four or five hours afterwards, when the wind died 
away into a calm, and the broken spar was sent down. 
It was found to be defective, owing to its being perforated 
by an iron eye bolt, to which the chain tie was attached, 
instead of to a band going around the yard. This acci- 
dent was of no material importance in our present situa- 
tion, but had it occurred while we were endeavoring to 
beat off a lee shore, it would have endangered the loss of 
the ship. By the middle of the afternoon, a new top-sail 
yard was sent up, and adjusted to its proper place by the 
perils, braces and lifts. The topsail was then bent upon 
it, with rope hands (" robeins ") and earings ; then sheet- 
ed home, and hoisted, and we were ready to take advan- 



316 THE SOUTH PACIFIC. 

tage of the fair wind, which sprang up just as we were 
ready for it. 

To-day we saw albatrosses for the first time, although 
in the low latitude of 31° south, but were unsuccessful 
in capturing any of them although they snapped off from 
the line, and swallowed several large fish hooks for us, 
and gorged themselves with the salt pork, with which 
they were baited. 

Monday, October 26. Last night, a strong breeze on 
our starboard quarter, blew up into a gale of wind by 
morning, and we ran before it under double reefed 
top-sails, which was more than most ships could have 
carried in safety on such an occasion. Latitute 53^^ 47' 
longitude 96° 53^. 

Tuesday, October 27. A slight fall of snow excited 
great delight in our tropical friends, the more advanced 
of whom, hailed its appearance as that of an old acquaint- 
ance. It was highly amusing to see with what enthu- 
siasm the children ran about the deck, collecting the 
falling flakes, delighted with the novel properties of a 
substance they had heard so much about, and wondering 
at its benumbing effect upon their hands. The thermom- 
eter stood not far from 32°, a temperature felt more 
severely at sea, than a fall of the thermometer eight or 
ten degrees lower, would be on land. The missionary 
families, as 1 had anticipated, were very meagerly 
supplied with suitable articles of clothing for a tempera- 
ture of which they had but little idea until they encoun- 
tered it; and the elder members, after a residence of 
twenty years in a tropical climate, had apparently almost 
forgotten the nature of cold weather. We had no fire 
on board, except what was in the cook's galley, and the 
clothing of some of the children was entirely inadequate 



ICEBERGS. 317 

to the temperature of the weather, especially as they were 
laboring under the hooping cough. Many of the 
passengers, to keep warm, resort to their berths, and one 
or two of the ladies are provided with slabs of soapstone, 
whose power of retaining heat is rendered available in 
keeping their feet warm. 

Sunday^ November 1. Latitude 56° 47'. Longitude 77^ 
00^ From the latitude and longitude, it will be seen 
that the ship is not far from Cape Horn. Last night, a 
heavy gale of wind sprang up from the westward, with 
frequent squalls of snow and sleet. This morning, while 
reefing the fore-topsail, a man fell from the extremity of 
the yard, and was caught in the studding-sail gear, which 
was fortunately rove at the time; otherwise, he must 
have been dashed to pieces by falling upon deck, or have 
been lost overboard, for no boat could survive such a sea. 
The conflict of the elements was a sight that could not 
but inspire the beholder with awe. We wore flying 
before the gale, but the mighty surges, swollen with 
accumulated waters, gather in dread array in our rear, 
then sweep onward in pursuit, with increasinof momen- 
tum, until towering above us with their foaming crests, 
they seem ready to engulf us ; but the gallant ship, with 
her taflferel thrown high into the air, plunges headlong 
down the watery steep, then mounts upon the heaving 
sea, that is piling up under her bow. ''An iceberg in 
sight !" is suddenly echoed throughout the ship, and 
every one hurries upon deck to view the interesting but 
unwelcome visitant. Through the gloom of the driving 
snow-storm, the majestic ice island is descried, and its 
cragsry peaks of a light green color tipped with white, 
are distinctly seen rising in stateliness above the angry 
waters. It had a wild dreary aspect, comporting well 
with the hoarse roar of the winds and the raging sea, 



318 THE SOUTH PACIFIC. 

and reminded us of the forlorn regions southward of us, 
in which it had its origin — whence it was detached, and 
now, impelled by the ocean storms, it is wasted away 
until not a vestige of it shall remain. The height of the 
iceberg was estimated to be not far from three hundred 
feet ; if this conjecture is correct, then, as the specific 
gravity of ice compared with water, is as eight to nine, 
the depth of the ice island below the surface of the 
water, was two thousand four hundred feet, or not far 
from half a mile. Whenever a fragment is detached at 
this great depth — a not unfrequent occurrence — its buoy- 
ancy causes it to shoot upward with very great velocity, 
and many ships sailing in the neighborhood of icebergs, 
have filled with water and foundered, from an encounter 
with one of those masses, which are often of very great 
dimensions. A foggy atmosphere very frequently invests 
these ice islands, and the navigator, who has been ac- 
customed to traverse those seas where they are prevalent, 
takes warning of their proximity, by being suddenly 
enveloped in a cold fog. On this account, and because 
their position can never be foreseen by calculation, as 
that of rocks laid down upon the chart, they are objects 
of peculiar dread to the mariner. In a gale of wind, 
where they are numerous, a ship is exposed to the 
extreme danger of being crushed by their collision. 
Many vessels bound around Cape Horn, that have never 
been heard from are supposed to have been lost among 
ice islands, whose presence in this region greatly enhances 
the danger. During the last night, several other ice- 
bergs were passed, as was supposed from the sudden and 
intense cold experienced at diiferent intervals by the 
watch upon deck, and on one occasion, about midnight, 
one of the passengers perceived so sudden an alteration 
in the temperature, that he went upon deck to ascertain 



LEVITY OP SAILORS. 319 

the cause. All night long we were propelled before the 
blast, blinded by the snow, which shrouded our course 
in darkness, and winding our way amid dangers, the 
very thought of which is appalling to the voyager. Soon 
after this iceberg was seen, the foresail was taken in, and 
the ship under a close reefed main-top-sail bounded along 
over the swollen waters. 

Thursday^ November 5. The gale of wind we en- 
countered last Sunday, abated towards night, and with 
a strong breeze after us, in a day or two we doubled 
Cape Horn, and were out of all danger of icebergs. 

The man who fell from the fore-top-sail-yard arm, and 
so narrowly escaped destruction, was somewhat sobered 
by it at first, and continued so during the day, especially 
as the duties he and the other seamen were called upon 
to execute during the storm, were too serious and un- 
comfortable to admit of much jesting over that occur- 
rence. The next day, however, he was as light hearted 
as any of them, and as would be the case with most 
sailors who think it effeminate to heed an escape from 
death, to v/hich they are constantly exposed, the recol- 
lection of his hazardous situation was almost entirely 
effaced. Though compelled to undergo the severest toils 
and privations, which almost always terminate his life 
before he has reached its natural limit, yet the sailor is a 
light-hearted, careless fellow, forgetting all sober reflec- 
tions when danger has passed by. His religious notions 
are often a species of universalism, and he believes that 
by a faithful discharge of his duties aboard ship, and by 
open handed generosity to his shipmates, all that is 
required of him, will be accomplished. Voyaging on 
the deep, where he sees so many exhibitions of Almighty 
power, he feels that he requires in a peculiar manner, the 
protection of that Supreme Being, who directs the ele- 



320 THE SOUTH PACIFIC. 

ments at his will, and he is led to imagine that some 
kind spirit is watching over him from above, to speed 
him on his way, and he loves to think, 

" There's a sweet little cherub who sits up aloft, 
To keep a watch o'er the life of poor Jack." 

Mariner's Song-book. 

In the terrific hurricane, or in impending shipwreck, 
when death seems near, even the most thoughtless sail- 
ors are brought to sober reflection upon their lives, and 
the most earnest professions of repentance are made, and 
perhaps they supplicate for mercy for themselves. But 
as danger passes away, their serious impressions too often 
evaporate, or are sometimes succeeded by the profane jest 
upon their fears, which prompted them to seek help from 
on high. An instance in illustration, came to my knowl- 
edge some time since. A ship had just encountered a 
terrific gale of wind, in which she had been thrown on 
her beam ends, and was in imminent peril of being lost. 
While in this awful situation, some of the crew were 
paralyzed by fear, but the greater part were loudly im- 
ploring help from on high, and mercy upon themselves, 
in prospect of the doom which seemed to be impending 
over them. Meanwhile, the masts were cut away, and 
the ship righted again ; and not long afterwards, the 
storm abated, when jury masts were rigged, and the 
ship continued on her course. But with the storm, the 
religious impressions of the crew had disappeared, or were 
considered as farcical, and legitimate subjects for mer- 
riment. "By ," some one more hardened than the 

rest exclaimed, "how Bill did pray ; he walked it off at 
the rate of eight knots an hour, just as if he had been a 
parson all his life." " Yes, but I only wanted to see how 
big fools I could make of the rest of you, that were scared 
almost to death," retorts his opponent. "Scared to 



RELIGION OF SAILORS. 321 

death ] You'd better 'bout ship on that tack, maty, for 
didn't we all see you with your teeth chattering together 
so that you couldn't speak the truth if you had tried, 
and shaking all over like a top-sail shivering in the 
wind ?" 

It does not seem strange that those whose lives depend 
upon the capricious elements, should be thoughtless upon 
the uncertain tenure of their lives, when we reflect, that 
the soldier in active service, when most familiar with 
death is more than ever reckless ; and, therefore, sailors, 
except when overpowered with terror at the approach of 
death, are careless and indiflerent about the dangers by 
which they are surrounded. 

" The loud tempests raise 

The waters, and repentance for past sinning 
In all, who o'er the great deep take their ways. 
They vow to amend their lives, and yet they don't, 
Because if drowned they can't — if saved they wont." 

Saturday^ Nov. 7. A beautiful and mild day, follow- 
ed by a calm towards sunset. The great number of 
birds around the ship, induced me to make the attempt 
to catch some of them, which was successful ; a Moni- 
moke — as this bird is called by the whalers — and a doz- 
en speckled Haglets, or Cape-pigeons, as they are com- 
monly, but improperly, named, were captured. The 
Monimoke very nearly resembles the Albatross in shape, 
and, although but two-thirds the size of the latter, is a 
much finer bird in appearance. This variety is white, 
having upon the head, and particularly upon the neck, 
a most delicate, and pure white plumage, which is re- 
lieved by the dark lead color of his back and wings. 
His eye is of a most brilliant black, just above which, 
there is a narrow fringe of delicate black feathers, which 
gives it much more expression than it would otherwise 



322 THE SOUTH PACIFIC. 

have. After all the passengers had embraced the oppor- 
tunity of studying the captive, it was proposed to hberate 
him, and I was appointed to carry the proposition into ef- 
fect. A speech was called for on the occasion, and mount- 
ing upon the capstan with the bird in hand, I pronoun- 
ced his release in the true Latin formulary — alias, con- 
ferred on him his degree : " Pro auctoritate mihi com- 
missa," &c. He was then thrown high into the air, but 
did not embrace the opportunity of taking to wing, and 
fell down upon deck, owing, as was suggested, to his 
partial acquaintance with the Latin dialect, and from his 
ignorance of our intention to liberate him. Descend- 
ing from the capstan, and addressing him in the En- 
glish tongue, " Over board with you !" he apprehend- 
ed our purposes, as they were rendered more clear by 
elevating him above the rail and giving him a tilt over- 
board. 

The speckled Haglet is a bird about the size of 
our large pigeon. His delicate webb feet and bill, are 
of jet black color, and the latter is formed with a tu- 
bular nostril protruding beyond the outhne of the 
bill, like that of the Petrel, or " Mother Gary's chick- 
en," although not quite so prominent. His eye is of 
a brilliant jet black, and his plumage is of a dark 
brown color, speckled with numerous white feathers, 
by which he is distinguished from another variety of 
the Haglet. 

A pin turned round about a quarter of an inch, baited 
with salt pork, and attached to a thread with a cork for 
a float, is all the apparatus necessary for the capture of 
these birds. There were great numbers of them about, 
and their loud chatterings, and the eagerness with 
which they took hold of the bait, even diving under 
water to the depth of one or two feet, indicated their vo- 



BIRD CATCHING. 



323 



racity. The plumage of these aquatic birds is so ad- 
mirably adapted to the element from which they ob- 
tain their subsistence, that it always continues dry, even 
after repeated dives below the surface. The speckled 
Haglet is a beautiful bird, but like all other aquatic birds 
of this region, emits a most disgusting effluvium from its 
mouth when captured. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

THE SOUTH ATLANTIC. 



A MERCHANT SHIP — LoNG-BOAT — CrEW — GaLE — PoR POISE — PaM- 

PERo — Dolphin — Waterspout — Protracted head-winds — Omi- 
nous CHARACTER OF THE FlORA — EMPLOYMENT OF TIME. 



As the Florals a merchant vessel, she is not provided 
with many of those appendages that are peculiar to wha- 
lers. Aloft, there is no difference, with the exception ot 
top-gallant-cross-trees, which are wanting in the former. 
Upon deck the principal difference consists, in a long-boat 
in place of the try-works in which the oil is prepared, 
which are located between the fore and main masts. The 
long-boat is a large bulky craft, intended as a lighter in 
transporting merchandize from ship to shore, while the 
vessel is at anchor, and built very strong, but with no 
reference to any other quality but capacity. When not 
in use she is firmly secured in a framework upon deck, 
and is generally housed over, forming a very convenient 
receptacle for swine and other animals, as is the case in 
the present instance. Several dingy-looking hen-coops 
ranged along upon top, with an array of water casks up- 
on each side, complete the appearance of the long-boat 
and its appendages. In a whaleship, the bearers — spars 
crossing the quarter deck at the height of nine or ten feet, 



A MERCHANT SHIP. 325 

and supporting the spare boats, which are lashed upon 
them, bottom upwards — give to this part of the ship a 
very different aspect from that of a merchant vessel. 
At the tafferel, hangs the ymcl^ a light boat rowed with 
four oars, and a very convenient little craft for gliding 
around upon the still waters of a bay, but a miserable 
structure for venturing out upon the ocean billows. It 
is supported from two timbers, four or five feet long, 
projecting beyond the rail, called "davits," very unliice in 
shape and position, the long curved timbers, upon which 
the boats of a whale ship are elevated upon each side of 
the vessel. 

Merchant ships almost always carry more sail than 
whalers, which have no object in hurrying forward on 
their course with any more rapidity, than is necessary 
in hunting their game. The Flora sometimes spreads 
six studding sails, when the wind is directly aft, and 
some ships display eight or more at times. When a 
ship is seen coming down before the wind, with lower, 
topmast, top-gallant, and royal studding sails run out 
upon both sides, and with lofty sky-sails set above this 
cloud of canvass, she presents a most majestic and beau- 
tiful appearance. -| 

The Flora carries eleven men "all told," for her com- 
plement — captain and two officers, cook and steward, and 
seven men before the mast— a number that appeared to 
me entirely inadequate for a vessel of her tonnage, as I 
had but a short time before left the North America, 
where we had thirty one men "all told," for our com- 
plement, and upon one or two occasions, when we were 
suddenly struck by heavy squalls, these were not found 
to be too numerous. No occurrence of this kind has 
as yet taken place, an event very much to be deprecated, 
as the sails could not be taken in with the expedition so 

28 



326 THE SOUTH ATLANTIC. 

imperativly necessary on such occasions. An approach- 
in «• squall is almost always an object of solicitude to the 
navigator, from the uncertainty of foretelling its effects. 
A lioht mist may be seen gathering to windward, that is 
hardly worth noticing, but in its folds it conceals the 
tornado, that may carry away the masts before its proxim- 
ity is discovered ; and again it may rise in threatening 
array, with angry clouds, and yet pass harmlessly by. 
Our crew is composed of representatives from a variety 
of nations. There are two Swedes, a Dane, a Fin, an 
Englishman, an Irishman, and a Scotchman. They are 
excellent sailors, and I am very much pleased with their 
appearance. Of the invalid sailors, that were put on 
board at Papeete, by the United States Consul, only one 
is able to be upon duty all the time. The Flora is not 
well found in rigging, for much of the running rigging 
is defective, and not of sufficient length, and the tackles 
are of the worst description, a deficiency which struck 
me the more forcibly, from the excellent condition of 
every thing of this description on board the North Amer- 
ica ; but there are no ships in the world that are fitted 
out with more liberality than whale ships, and the 
Flora may not be very inferior to the average of mer- 
chant vessels. The discipline of these two ships 
is very different-, for a familiarity often takes place 
between officers and men aboard this ship, that would 
never have been tolerated in the least, aboard the North 
America. Where the seamen endeavor to modify an 
order they receive from their officers, by suggesting some 
improvement, there can be no very high degree of disci- 
pline observed. This is not the case in the generality of 
merchant ships ; for in the merchant as well as in the wha- 
ling service, the degree of discipline observed depends 
almost entirely upon the will and energy of the master. 



GALE. 327 

Some degree of rivalry exists between the whaling 
and merchant services. The whaler in his career of 
adventure, looks with contempt upon the dullness and 
monotony of the merchant service, and the merchant- 
man, as he is ploughing his way over the deep under a 
cloud of canvass, disdains the dirty "blubber hunter," as 
he invidiously denominates his rival, who is moving" 
slowly under diminished sail, and quietly pursuing his 
avocations. I have conversed with many persons who 
have been engaged in both services, and they have 
invariably given their preference to a whaling life. A 
gentleman of my acquaintance, who was master of sever- 
al merchant ships in succession, many years since, told 
me, that if he was a young man, upon the eve of follow- 
ing the seas for life, he should by all means enter the 
whaling business. ' 

Sunday, Monday^ Tuesday ^ November, 8, 9, 10. 
Foggy, rainy weather, with light and baffling winds for 
some time past. On Monday night last, it commenced 
blowing hard from the north-east preceded by a great 
fall in the barometer, which stood at 28° 37', at the com- 
mencement of the gale. The ship was "hove to," 
heading north north-west with the wind and sea increas- 
ing during the succeeding day. At night the aspect of 
the gale was surpassingly grand. "Storm howled to 
storm," careering through the rigging in one continued 
sullen roar, while the ominous gloom diffused around, 
and the angry waves " upraised in hills of fluctuating fire," 
flashing amid the surrounding darkness, impressed an 
awful grandeur upon the scene. 

Whenever a gale of wind in these latitudes comes 

1 from the north, it usually veers towards the west, then 

I to the south-west, from which quarter it often bursts 

forth with increased violence. During one of these 



328 THE SOUTH ATLANTIC. 

gales, it is not an unusual occurrence, for the wind to 
shift suddenly to the south-west, exposing a ship to the 
danger of being taken aback, if she is heading towards the 
west, and driving her stern first against the heavy sea 
from the north, a situation of extreme peril. It is hence 
much safer for a ship to be hove to, on the other tack ; 
for a sudden change of wind is received on her quarter, 
and all that is necessary is to check in the weather bra- 
ces. During the gale, I amused myself with catching 
speckled-haglets, as a kind of relief to our uncomfortable 
situation, and was very successful. The ship's deck has 
been leaky for some time, and the passengers in the steer- 
age bitterly complain of beds and clothes saturated with 
water. No doubt, the constant dampness of the state- 
rooms has been the cause of the violent coughs with 
which the children are all afflicted. Notwithstanding 
the grandeur and display of power in a storm at sea, a 
man who is at all rational, ought to be satisfied with one 
exhibition. Upon deck the raging storm holds undisputed 
sway, while below, the dismal gloom and humid exhala- 
tions from every thing, render the scene scarcely more 
inviting. In addition to this, the violent pitching of the 
ship, and the groaning of the bulkheads, forbid all at- 
tempts at seeking repose. And besides, let the rattling 
of the plates at the table be taken into the account, or, 
what is worse, the reception of your dinner upon your 
outward man — and, most respected reader, you have an 
exhibition of what a glorious thing a storm at sea is, when 
viewed behind the scenes. 

In the evening, Capt. Hall and I were suddenly alarm- 
ed by a crash upon deck just over our heads. We ran 
up to ascertain the cause, when we found that one of the 
wheel ropes had given way, and that the tiller had been 
forced up against the round house, carrying away a piece 



PORPOISE. 329 

of it, by a sea striking against the rudder. The reliev- 
ing-tackles were instantly hooked on, and the rope was 
soon repaired. An accident like this occurring under 
some circumstances — while scuddins" before asfale of wind 
for instance — might be attended with disastrous conse- 
quences. During the night — Tuesday — a rise of the 
barometer indicated that the violence of the gale was over, 
and by the next morning, it had materially abated. Lat. 
510 S. Long. 450 W. 

Friday, Nov. 13. A large porpoise, of a species pecu- 
liar to Cape Horn and these regions, was captured this 
morning. This variety has but a short snout, which is a 
characteristic distinguishing it from the common kinds. 
His exterior is nearly black, with a broad, longitudinal 
stripe of a milk white color, wider towards the extremi- 
ties than in the middle. The mouths of all varieties of 
the porpoise, have some resemblance to that of a swine, 
from which circumstance, sailors have assigned a rather 
fanciful origin to this class of cetacea. Accordmg to an 
opinion prevalent among them, when the evil spirits were 
cast out of the unfortunate man near the lake of Gennes- 
saret, and entered into the herd of swine, " the whole 
herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea," and 
were changed into porpoises, which also accounts for the 
unusual degree of activity, and the gambols displayed by 
these animals. This theory would be rather more plau- 
sible, if the miracle had not taken place upon the mar- 
gin of an inland lake, which had no communication with 
the sea. 

Saturday, Nov. 14. With some of the blubber of the 
porpoise attached to a large fish hook, I succeeded in cap- 
turing six Albatrosses, besides losing many more by the 
breaking of the line or the hook, and blistering my hands. 
The capture of these birds was a source of great amuse- 

28* 



330 THE SOUTH ATLANTIC. 

ment to the passengers, who provided themselves amply 
with their beautiful feathers, and were by no means neg- 
lectful of the fricassee, in which form these Albatrosses 
made their appearance upon the table. 

Tuesday^ Nov. 17. During the last night, a heavy- 
gale of wind sprang up from the west, accompanied with 
frequent and violent squalls, surpassing every thing of 
the kind we have yet experienced. The sea was not so 
high however as it has been on former occasions, and 
our situation was by no means as uncomfortable. The 
winds may howl in fury through the rigging, and yet, 
opposed by the powerful cordage and spars, may do no 
injury ; but the impetuosity of the surges, as they accu- 
mulate during a heavy and continued gale of wind is ir- 
resistible, and the strain upon a ship is very great upon 
such occasions. The latitude of the ship to-day, is 43° 
27', not far from that of the mouth of the river De la Pla- 
ta, in passing which, ships not unfrequently encounter 
tremendous gales, lasting from six to eight hours, which 
have been known to reduce a vessel to a complete wreck. 
The vast pampas, or plains upon the banks of this river, 
extending far inland, disturb the equilibrium of the at- 
mosphere, and give origin to these pamperos or hurri- 
canes which are felt far out to sea. 

" Quippe ferant rapidi secum, verrantque per auras." 

As for myself, my situation was uncomfortable enough, 
as I passed a sleepless night, listening to the roar of the 
gale, and holding myself in my berth, which, with reflect- 
ing upon the serious consequences likely to happen to 
my person in the event of falling out, kept me very effec- 
tually awake. What rendered my anticipations of such 
a casualty the more unfavorable to repose, was that there 
were two boxes in my state-room, separated from one an- 



STORM Y WEATHER. 331 

Other by a space of two feet or more, and if I had been 
pitched out of my berth upon their sharp edges, I should 
certainly have been put hors du combat. The board that 
in stormy weather, passed across my berth for a defence, 
had been removed a day or two previous, and nothing 
would have prevented me from roUing out, if I had fall- 
en asleep. 

Wednesday^ Nov, 18. I find in my note book the 
following brief memoranda. " Constant rainy, foggy and 
blowy weather for more than two weeks past — ship leaky 
in her upper works— forecastle water-logged, and men 
sick." As regards the weather, the only qualifying ad- 
jectives applicable to it, are had^ loorse^ worst. With 
calms and fogs, cold rains and stormy winds, our situa- 
tion may be readily conceived to be of a very trying na- 
ture to all on board. Our state-rooms are all wet, and 
the forecastle is pronounced to be afloat. Several of the 
men, in consequence, have been taken sick, and oif duty, 
at a time when the services of every one were almost in- 
dispensable. Yiolent colds have also been very prevalent 
among the passengers. 

To diversify the scene in some degree, I amused my- 
self in catching birds, among which were several speci- 
mens of the black Monimoke, a species I have not yet 
described. The black Monimoke is somewhat smaller 
than the white variety, and is about the size of a common 
goose. His plumage is of a dark brown, glossy appear- 
ance, and his bill and feet are of a jet black color. His 
jet black eye is set in bold relief, by a delicate fringe of 
white feathers immediately over it, and his bill is a- 
dorned with a white cord running along the lower part 
of it. 

Sunday, Nov. 22. Our Meteorological table still con- 
tinues the same, with the agreeable reflection of having 



332 THE SOUTH ATLANTIC, 

made but little Northing for some time past. Lat. 32° 
47' S., Long. 350 46' W. 

Tuesday^ Dec. 1. A mild and beautiful day with 
scarcely any wind, a most agreeable relief from the 
gloomy atmosphere that has hung over us for so long a 
lime. From a school of small dolphins that visited the 
ship, I succeeded in capturing two, each of which meas- 
ured about two feet in length. The Dolphin is regarded 
as one of the most beautiful of the finny tribe, not only 
for his elegance of shape, but from his possessing the cha- 
meleon-like property of changing his colors at will. He 
rarely exceeds five feet in length, and he is very thin in 
proportion to his breadth. The head of those of the lar- 
gest size has some resemblance in outline to that of the 
sperm whale, although the under jaw does not differ ma- 
terially from that of the common varieties of fish. Upon 
his back commencing just above the gills, and extending 
almost to his tail, is a thin membrane stretching between 
slender bones, forming a beautiful crest, which together 
with his back, is of a deep blue or purple color. His ven- 
tral fin resembles a delicate fringe, and is tipped with 
white. His tail is long and slender, and his entire shape 
fits him for great activity and velocity of motion. While 
the " North America " was in Panama bay, we were dai- 
ly visited by numbers of dolphins, and I frequently saw 
them leap out of water ten or twelve times in rapid suc- 
cesion, as far as twenty or twenty-five feet at each time. 
With his dorsal crest erect, and all his fins distended in 
the eagerness of pursuit after flying fish, and his hues 
changing from blue to green, then to yellow, in all the in- 
termediate shades — then with bands of a brown color en- 
circling him, or stripes running longitudinally— and all 
these changes taking place like the flash of the Aurora 
Borealis— the dolphin is entitled to be considered one of 



WATERSPOUT. 333 

the most beautiful and interesting of the finny tribe. The 
changing hues of the dying dolphin have always been 
celebrated. The various shades of blue are the predom- 
inating colors, which are rapidly exchanged for delicate 
tinges of green and yellow, as the agonies of death are 
convulsing his frame. 

Wednesday, Dec. 9. This morning, we were called 
upon deck to view a waterspout. The weather had been 
lowering with light winds, and from an extended stratum 
of dark clouds, drawn along at an elevation of about 
twenty-five degrees, the waterspout or whirlwind was 
seen forming. It extended downwards in a well defined 
dark column, turned a little to the right, with a whitish 
streak in the middle of it, and assuming diiferent attitudes 
until it disappeared. It never extended much more than 
half way to the horizon, but when at its greatest elonga- 
tion, we could perrfiivp n Ifjarhf irapnr vicinQ- frrirrj tko ooo. 

immediately underneath. The distance from us was un- 
doubtedly very great. 

Tuesday J Dec. 22. The following items I extract from 
my note book. " Dec. 13. Yesterday, gale of wind from 
the N. E. — Ship reefed down. To-day, wind from the 
north from which quarter it has been blowing steadily 
for the last twenty days, which has, of course, almost en- 
tirely prevented our making any progress. Dec. 15. 
Spoke a Swedish brig, the "Oberon," from Rio de Janeiro 
— light baffling weather — provisions almost gone. Dec. 
20. Passed a barque on opposite tacks, within a few feet 
of him— spoke him, but he manifested a most determined 
silence — no colors were run up.' A summary of the 
days in which we have experienced head winds, exhibits 
the lamentable truth, that from Nov. 27 to Dec. 22, a pe- 
riod of twenty-five days, we have encountered a constant 
succession of head winds, with but rare exceptions, and 



334 THE SOUTH ATLANTIC. 

those of very short continuance. On Nov. 27th our lati- 
tude was 270 56' S. ; and on Dec. 22, it was 23° 44' 
showing an advance of only 4° 12', or two hundred and 
fifty two miles in twenty-five days, which gives us an 
average of ten miles per day. The Flora is a most mis- 
erable sailer, and for beating to windward, a tub with a 
large pocket handkerchief for a sail could do almost as 
well. The vessels mentioned above, out-sailed us to such 
a degree, that although they were first seen upon our lee 
quarter, yet they worked up to windward, and were out 
of sight of us before the next day. Such a superiority is 
very humiliating; for the feelings of the voyager become 
intimately associated with his ship, and the character she 
exhibits is an object of no ordinary interest to him. It 
reminds us of the commencement of the fable of " The 
Hare and the Tortoise," in which the Hare is soon out of 

cjiglnf IpnTn'ngr th^ tnrtoisp Ing-g-ing- nn hfihind- It would bo 

some consolation if we could entertain the animating 
hope declared at the end of the fable, that " slow and 
steady wins the race ;" but by numerous irresistible 
proofs, we have arrived at the conclusion, that the Flora 
is an anomaly, setting all established rules at defiance. 
Standing east on one tack, and west on the other, we 
can hardly expect to make much northing. To do this 
craft justice, however, she possesses one desirable quality, 
in being very easy in a gale of wind; and safe, so long as 
she has a plenty of sea room. 

The weather, for the most part, is now delightful, and 
were it not that we are short of provisions, and have been 
entirely destitute of vegetables for many weeks, it would 
make no material difference with me to be detained here 
much longer. Some of the passengers are absolutely 
suffering for the want of vegetables, and there is but little 
prospect of relief unless the wind changes, which will, 



BRIGHTER PROSPECTS. 335 

of course be in our favor. It is some consolation, when 
one is reduced to the lowest stage of misfortune, to know 
that any change in his circumstances must necessarily 
prove an alleviation. Those that are shipwrecked and 
meet with the entire loss of their wardrobes, are admira- 
bly prepared for the latest fashions. 

The Swedish brig we spoke the other day, was a 
beautiful clipper built vessel, and Oberon himself, king 
of the fairies, would have felt honored by having his 
name adopted by so elegant a craft. She was from Rio 
de Janeiro, bound to Falmouth, England, with English 
property on board, which was owing to a panic among 
the English at that city, from a report that has just reach- 
ed them, that France and England were on the eve of 
war ; and they therefore entrusted their property to a 
neutral flag. This intelligence was highly interesting 
to us, as we were liable to be intercepted and annoyed by 
cruizers of either nation, and afforded an ample fund for 
conversation for some time. 

Tuesday^ Dec, 22. After many most melancholy sup- 
pers upon hard bread and molasses (our butter disap- 
peared more than two months since) a note of joy was 
heard throughout the ship, which diffused a smile of glad- 
ness over every face. A barrel of flour was found, which 
had eluded the strict search that had been made for it, 
and it was with feelings of thanksgiving that we saw it 
committed to the hands of the steward. 

Wednesday Dec. 23. If " woes cluster," it is perhaps 
equally true that tokens of prosperity are not solitary vis- 
iters. It is so with us ; for the ship is heading north with 
a fine breeze from the eastward, probably the first im- 
pulse of the S. E. trade wind. 

It may not prove uninteresting to take a sketch of the 
manner in which we spend our time. In the morning, 



tv 



>336 THE SOUTH ATLANTIC. 

before eight o'clock — the breakfast hour— the missionary 
families hold prayer in their respective state-rooms. As 
to myself, I seize upon this time, as the most quiet period 
from sunrise to sunset, for reading or writing. At half 
past seven o'clock, commence the percussion of jumping 
ropes, squealing, and other indications that " this is the 
age of oddities let loose." From ten to twelve, I read in 
some favorite author to Mrs. Bingham upon deck, who is 
usually joined by the young ladies and others. From 
twelve o'clock M. until dinner is announced, we are 
again entertained by a prelude in clicker clack! clicker 
clack ! clicker clack! from half a dozen jumping ropes, 
which although they are stringed instruments are of the 
most intolerable character. We dine at one o'clock, 
but are glad to dispatch our viands as soon as possible, 
to make our escape from the hard and uncomfortable 
benches upon which we sit, and also from the noise of 
the creaking bulkheads, which is so loud as almost to 
forbid conversation. After dinner, we take a stroll upon 
deck, not to work off its effects, however, for we are nev- 
er guilty of the sin of satiety, although it may be ques- 
tioned how far our abstemiousness is a virtue. At four 
o'clock the sounds from the deck announce that the ju- 
venile part of the Flora's passengers is on the qui vive, 
and these are unceasing for the hour and a half that suc- 
ceeds. After supper, we promenade the deck ; some 
walking arm-in-arm with the ladies, and entertaining 
them with the latest news, or cultivating scandal, 
which is always prolific when there is a vacuity of sense 
or of news, as is the case in the present instance. As for 
myself, I prefer my solitary walk upon deck ; or leaning 
over the rail, or mounting up the rigging, to review what 
1 may have heard or read worth remembering — to recall 
the happy hours of days long since passed away, and to 



, i* 



EMPLOYMENT OP TIME. , 337 

picture to myself the lineaments of my own dear home. 

" Oh I what can sanctify the joys of home 
Like hope's gay glance from Ocean's troubled foam." 

At eight o'clock, public prayers are held in the steerage, 
and this interesting exercise is usually attended by all, 
except the officer of the watch and the man at the wheel. 
Upon the Sabbath, the Rev. Mr. Bingham delivers a dis- 
course, both in the morning and in the afternoon, which 
is often accompanied with earnest appeals to the sea- 
men. The two or three hours succeeding evening^ pray- 
ers are devoted by myself to study, or reading, and they 
are the most favorable as far as respects quiet, of the 
twenty four hours. At half past ten, the gentlemen take 
a bath upon deck, and we then retire to our berths, most 
delightfully refreshed, and prepared for uninterrupted 
slumbers. 

29 



CHAPTER XXYIII. 

THE SOUTH ATLANTIC. 
Stores of the Flora — Pernambuco — Harbor. 

Tuesday^ December 29. It has already been intima- 
ted that we are ahuost out of provisions, and although 
the subject of eating and drinking may have a very 
unpoetical aspect, yet to the voyager, whose supphes are 
almost exhausted, and himself at a distance from any 
port where they may be procured, it becomes an object 
of prominent interest. Such is our situation, and as we 
hear that one article after another is entirely exhausted, 
and perceive that some of the passengers are suffering 
from the unpalatable diet to which they are subjected, 
we cannot but feel an anxiety about the meagre condi- 
tion of our stores, which constitutes the principal theme 
of conversation. In approaching this subject, it is not in 
a spirit of censoriousness, nor with a design of attributing 
our illiberal fare to any thing but miscalculation. 

From the list of stores for the barque Flora, I might 
easily make a selection which would convince any one 
acquainted with the subject, that the most economical 
calculations were made in fitting out this ship with 
twenty passengers for a voyage of five months, or at 
best, that extremely inadequate views of human wants 
were entertained. The closeness manifested in the supply 
of some of the items, would appear ludicrous to any 
one, unless like ourselves, he had to bear the consequen- 



STORES OF THE FLORA. 339 

ces. In our table furniture, no allowance was made for 
breakage, a very natural occurrence, particularly at sea, 
and hence we find ourselves reduced to three tumblers 
out of the dozen put on board. During our passage 
from Honolulu to Tahiti, our table exhibited itself to far 
greater advantage than it has done at any subsequent 
time. Even then, the rigid economy with which our 
viands were prepared, would have amused one accus- 
tomed to any degree of liberality. For the passengers, 
upon all occasions, swept off every thing from the dishes, 
so that not a fragment should be left. As an instance 
of the inadequate supply of provisions for so long a 
voyage, I will mention, that two barrels of flour were 
consumed during our passage of thirty eight days, which 
constituted two fifths of all we had on board, for a voy- 
age of five months. Although our provisions were more 
varied and better prepared than they were aboard the 
North America, yet in that good old ship, our food was 
always wholesome, and in abundance, so that we always 
left a few specimens of what was brought upon the table. 
At Tahiti, two barrels of flour were added to what 
remained ; a most ample allowance one would suppose, 
judging from past experience. I forbear mentioning 
the proportionate relations of the articles on the table to 
the demands of the passengers. All the steward's calcu- 
lations were carried on by the rules of Reduction 
descending^ of which he exhibited a most profound 
knowledge. Our meagre amount of butter was entirely 
exhausted before we had doubled Cape Horn, and for 
more than two months we have been compelled to make 
molasses our substitute, of which, it ought to be regarded 
as a matter of rejoicing, we have an abundant supply, as 
the ship is freighted with it. Our Sandwich Islanders 
have proved themselves to be Yankees, in one important 



340 THE SOUTH ATLANTIC. 

particular, long before they have reached the shores of 
New England. The condition of our stores may be 
inferred from the fact, that for several days we have 
subsisted upon "salt junk, and hard tack,"* with beans 
for variety at regular intervals ; rather disheartening fare 
to those that are invalids, as is the case with one or two 
of the passengers. 

After doubling the Cape, the necessity of replenishing 
our stores became more and more apparent every day. 
The passengers, in frequent consultations with one 
another, in private, came to the resolution of sending a 
petition to Captain Spring, to run for some port, where 
provisions might be obtained. The resolution was carried 
into effect, and a manifesto containing a representation 
of the exhausted state of our stores and its effect upon 
the health of the passengers, and subscribed by the sig- 
natures of all the gentlemen, was laid before the captain. 
This step had however, been anticipated by Captain S., 
who requested the oldest of the passengers to draw up a 
manifesto, which, bearing the signatures of all the gentle- 
men, would shield him from blame in the event of any 
disaster happening to the ship by deviating from the 
course prescribed by her policy of insurance ; for a policy 
of insurance is always vitiated by a ship in going out of 
the course specified by the terms of the agreement, 
unless compelled to do so by some providential occur- 
rence, that could not have been anticipated. 

After receiving this manifesto, Captain S. determined 
to put in at Pernambuco, a town upon the coast not far 
from Cape St. Roque, the most eastern extremity of South 
America, to procure a supply of provisions. For a few 
days past, we have had a very good run, and are now 
within three or four hundred miles of our destined port. 

* Salt meat aad sea- bread. 



LAND ho! 341 

Friday^ January 1, 1841. Land ho ! At four bells in 
the forenoon watch, the dim outline of the coast of 
South America, was just discernible through the gloom 
resting upon it, the first sight of terra-firma that has 
greeted our eyes since leaving Tahiti, a period of three 
months. If those that have been at sea but thirty days, 
while crossing the Atlantic, a distance of only three 
thousand miles, and faring most sumptuously all the time 
aboard those splendid packet ships, congratulate them- 
selves upon the view of something more substantial than 
the ever heaving waters around, we, that for thrice that 
period, have been traversing stormy seas, and encountered 
every vicissitude of weather, while experimenting in the 
short allowance system, have a legitimate claim to exhibit 
more than ordinary demonstrations of rejoicing at the 
sight of mother earth. The children upon this occasion, 
came out with an entirely new set of gymnastics, and ran 
round the deck testifying to their joy by very expressive 
vociferations of delight. In about a couple of hours, we 
ran in to the anchorage off Pernambuco, where were 
three or four vessels lying at anchor in the open road- 
stead outside the harbor, about two miles from the town. 
One of these is the " Nantucket," of Nantucket, a whaler, 
bound home full of oil. By comparing our respective 
tracks, after doubling Cape Horn, we find that we were 
not alone in bad luck. Between the parallels of latitude 
27° and 24° south, the Nantucket was detained for thirty 
six days by head winds, whereas the Flora made her 
escape from that spell bound region in thirty days. This 
is certainly some consolation for past misfortunes, for 

" Misery still delights to trace 
Its semblance in another's case." 

Pernambuco lies in about 8"^ south latitude, upon the 
most eastern extremity of Brazil, within two or three 

29* 



342 THE SOUTH ATLANTIC. 

days sail of Cape St. Roque. From its situation not far 
from the track of ships bound around the two capes, it is 
a place of very frequent resort for procuring supplies ; 
and not only this, but its commercial importance is 
rapidly increasing. The harbor is formed by a coral 
reef extending in front of the town, which completely 
protects the shipping inside, from the fury of the sea, 
which accumulating before the constant trade winds, 
thunders upon this natural breakwater, rolling up its 
surges, and falling in a sheet of pure foam into the quiet 
waters of the bay. By the assistance of art, the reef 
assumes the appearance of a perpendicular wall towards 
the city, rising eight or ten feet above the surface of the 
harbor. The bay thus formed, is very similar to that of 
Papeete, although much more regular in its outline. The 
entrance is at the right hand side of the reef, and the bay 
runs along parallel to it, upon the extremity of which, 
near the entrance, stands a fine lighthouse, built up from 
a solid foundation of stone work, that rises to the height 
of twenty feet or more, of an octagonal figure. It is a 
variegated lights as it is called, that is, the light assumes 
different colors, at regular intervals of every few moments. 
At one time, it is of a dull crimson hue ; then increasing 
rapidly in intensity, it shoots up into a most vivid glowing 
red, when it gradually wanes, until it disappears. Again 
it makes its appearance, but with a totally different 
aspect ; with a green hue, it is seen slowly emerging 
from the surrounding darkness, until with a sickly gleam 
it spreads across the waters, and then in turn gives place 
to a golden yellow. These are the only colors displayed 
at present, although there were two or three more exhib- 
ited at the first establishment of the lighthouse, which 
are now disused from their deficiency in vividness. 
The appearance of the city is rather prepossessing as 



PERNAMBUCO. 343 

seen from our anchorage. The whitewashed houses 
and spires of the numerous churches stand out in bold 
relief from the verdure of the adjacent country, which 
though low, is gently undulating, with groves of cocoa- 
nut trees extending in dense array along the coast. In 
all Portuguese places, ships are exposed to numerous 
petty vexations from the officers of the custom house, and 
of the health office. We were very doubtful, on our 
passage to Pernambuco, whether we should be allowed 
to land at all, as we had obtained no bill of health from 
Papeete, the last port we visited. "A clean bill of 
health," as it is called, is a certificate from one of our 
consuls, that the ship is entirely free from any contagious 
diseases, upon her leaving the port from which it is pro- 
cured ; this certificate is always respected, and usually 
insures a ship somewhat greater facilities in communica- 
ting with any port where she may arrive. 

Soon after coming to anchor, Captain S. rowed into 
the harbor, to ascertain whether we should be allowed 
to go ashore. Upon entering the harbor, he was obliged 
to go alongside of three Brazilian men-of-war in succes- 
sion, so that each one of them might have the agreeable 
privilege of exhibiting his authority before the strangers. 
We were very glad to find upon his return to the 
ship, that he had been successful in his application, and 
that the gentlemen would have an opportunity of visiting 
the city upon the next day. 



V 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

PERNAMBUCO. 

Katamajians — Churches — Splendor — Appearance of the popu- 
lation — Architecture — Fireworks — Supplies purchased — 
Cross the equator. 

Saturday^ January 2. This morning, after some 
delay, we started from our floating home, to refresh our- 
selves with a ramble on shore, prepared for all the sights 
and sounds that might present themselves in a strange 
city. Our progress in the boat was slow and tedious 
enough, as may be easily imagined, when we consider 
that our craft was a little egg-shell of a thing, two feet 
too short for a ship of three hundred tons, and laden 
down to the water's edge, which threatened her with the 
danger of being swamped every moment, as there was 
a heavy swell heaving in towards the land, and espe- 
cially, as we had a long line of large water casks towing 
after us. Our anticipations for the safety and condition 
of our respective persons were therefore by no means of 
a favorable character. We escaped however, without 
any other misfortunes than being sprinkled with salt 
water, and having the skirts of our coats, in one or two 
instances, thoroughly saturated with brine by trailing 
over the side of the boat, through the carelessness of their 



KATAMARANS. 345 

owners. Upon entering the harbor, we were astonished 
at the quantity of shipping lying there. Over a hundred 
sail of vessels from a great variety of nations, were 
displaying their colors to the breeze. A steamboat, bear- 
ing the Brazilian flag, lay at anchor in the bay. She 
was built in England, and hke all English steamers, is a 
black heavy looking structure. 

On the side of the bay opposite the entrance, is a wide 
beach, upon which great numbers of katamarans^ or 
fishermen's craft, were hauled up. The singular form 
of these frail structures — for they can hardly be called 
boats — claims a particular notice. They consist of sever- 
al logs of light wood, varying in numbers, from three to 
six or seven and from fifteen to twenty five feet in length, 
bound securely together by wooden bolts passing through 
them. Upon the upper side there is a strong frame work 
fixed amid-ships, which holds a box to contain any fish 
that may be captured, and also serves to keep the voy- 
agers from rolling off. A triangular sail of great dimen- 
sions, and the broad steering oar, complete the tout en- 
semble of these fantastic specimens of naval architec- 
ture, in which the hardy fishermen dash over the ocean 
wave, with the foam and spray hiding their craft from 
view, so that but occasional glimpses of her are seen as 
she rises upon the crests of the billows, while " all hands " 
are standing up on the weather side, with the water up 
to their knees, and grasping the frame work to prevent 
their being washed overboard in the plunging of the 
katamaran. These frail craft are often seen stretching 
out to sea beyond the sight of land, and working to 
windward with astonishing velocity. 

Just back of the beach, commences a line of buildings, 
which following the curvature of the shore, extends to 
the public quays, about which lie the principal part of 



346 PERNAMBUCO. 

the shipping. We were met at the landing place by a 
gentleman connected with an American mercantile 
house in the city, who conducted us to his office. After 
attending to the putting up of our private stores — of 
which, warned by past experience, we had determined 
to have enouofh — we were invited to take breakfast in an 
upper room, where we sat down in delightful bachelor 
style to a glorious breakfast of steaks, ham and potatoes, 
spread out in a style of profusion to which our eyes had 
long been strangers. We had carte blanche given us to 
call for any thing we wished, which we were not dila- 
tory in availing ourselves of, and kept the Portuguese 
servant circulating between the kitchen and the dining 
room, with a frequency and earnestness that was a mat- 
ter of astonishment to him ; for we recollected that before 
the day was over, we should be obliged to return to the 
Flora, and each one applied to himself the injunction 
of the poet " take the good the gods provide thee," with 
a becoming sense of his individual responsibility. Indeed, 
we left no room for the regret expressed by Stephen 
Burroughs, when nearly famished in jail — "that he had 
not eaten more when he had the opportunity." 

After breakfast, we visited a church in the immediate 
vicinity. In all Roman Catholic countries, this season 
of the year, commencing with Christmas and extending 
along for several weeks, is devoted to rejoicings of every 
kind. The churches during the whole time, are thrown 
open, masses are performed with great frequency, and a 
general holiday is proclaimed among all classes. There 
are several large churches in Pernambuco, two or three 
of which were visited during our ramble. In the first 
one we entered, public mass was in performance, which 
we mistook at first, for the rehearsal of some military 
band, from the martial sounds issuing from the edifice. 



CHURCHES. 34.7 

The interior of this church — the finest in some respects 
of any in Pernambuco, presented a splendor and glare of 
ornament that was highly imposing. In common with 
all the churches we examined, it is arranged in the form 
of a cross, at the upper end of which, is an image of the 
Savior, hanging upon the cross, with the utmost agony 
depicted in the expression of his countenance, and in the 
contortions of his body, and with streams of blood gush- 
ing from his hands and his side, a representation that 
can not but affect the sympathies of every worshipper. 
The ceiling above the cross is carved and gilded in the 
most elaborate and costly manner, and in this recess are 
some fine scriptural paintings. Besides the image of the 
Savior, there are six or eiglit images of saints fixed in 
niches in the walls, with paintings illustrating scenes in 
the lives of these holy personages. The Host, which is 
carried about the streets on great occasions, escorted by 
a procession of priests, is about twenty feet in height, and 
is covered over with glittering tapestry of velvet and 
tinsel. The vestibule and the aisle leading up to the 
altar, are paved in Mosaic, and the latter is defended by 
heavy balustrades upon each side. There are no pews 
in these churches as in ours, and the only provision for 
seats, consists in a range of mahogany chairs upon each 
side of the aisle adjoining the balustrades. A number of 
priests^, dressed in their sacerdotal robes, consisting of a 
light tunic of white gauze worn over a black gown, were 
performing the ceremonies of mass, which were, of course, 
all pantomime to us. The orchestra was ranged along 
on the right hand side of the church near the altar, and 
numbered thirty or forty musicians, whose martial 
instruments uniting in a full burst of harmony, re-echoed 
with grand effect from the lofty ceiling. There is some- 
thing extremely imposing in the ceremonies of the Roman 



348 PERNAMBUCO. 

Catholic church, and it is not wonderful that this religion, 
by the pomp and glitter of its devotional exercises, and 
by the charms of noble music, whose solemn strains thrill 
through every feeling of the worshipper, is so firmly riv- 
eted upon those countries where it holds its sway. 

In viewing the splendor of this church, the principal 
objects that attracted our attention, were the immense 
number of waxen candles, that were kept constantly burn- 
ing before the cross of the Savior, the imagoes of the saints, 
and the Host, which were supported in massive silver 
candlesticks. Tliere could not have been less than sev- 
enty or eighty of the smaller size, weighing, upon a gen- 
eral average, not far from thirty pounds. Besides these, 
there were eight or ten of an immense size, four feet or 
more in height, surrounding the Host. Respecting the 
value of these costly utensils, we — Yankee like— were 
making some calculations, as the religious ceremonies 
were proceeding. Thirty pounds of silver — the suppos- 
ed weight of the smaller size — are worth about four hun- 
dred and fifty dollars ; and as there were as many as sev- 
enty of them in all, their aggregate value could not be 
less than thirty-one thousand five hundred dollars. Of 
the larger size, one would probably be equal in weight to 
five of the smaller. Allowing that there were eight 
of these, their aggregate value would be nearly 
eighteen thousand dollars ; so that the silver candlesticks 
alone, in this church, are worth about forty-nine thou- 
sand five hundred dollars. If the value of the other sil- 
ver utensils that come into service during the complica- 
ted ceremonies, which are, undoubtedly, of a correspond- 
ing richness of material, is annexed to the sum computed 
above, the calculation swells to an immense amount. 
And when it is recollected that this is but one of the ma- 
ny churches in this city, all of which are furnished in a 



RELIGIOUS VENERATION. 349 

somewhat similar style of magnificence, astonishment 
must succeed the calculation of the vast sums lavished 
upon ihem. While examining the magnificence of these 
palaces of superstition, it seemed strange to me, that we, 
who believe in a purer faith, which awakens the religious 
sensibilities bv a direct appeal to the words of truth, in- 
stead of paralyzing them by unmeaning rites, by repres- 
sing the scriptures, and tolerating the most gross immor- 
alities, should ever suffer our religion to languish for 
want of suitable funds to enable it to carry on its opera- 
tions, and make such illiberal provision, as is too frequent- 
ly the case, for those who minister at its sacred ordinan- 
ces. Previous to entering the church, we were caution- 
ed to take off" our hats, before crossing the threshold of 
the outer door, and not to replace them until we had 
passed entirely out of the house ; otherwise we might be 
treated with rudeness. When I saw the scrupulous care 
manifested by those that entered the church in the remo- 
val of their hats, and in putting them on again in leav- 
ing, I must confess that the veneration for their church 
thus exhibited, had a far better appearance than the ill- 
mannered custom— to call it by its least objectionable ep- 
ithet — that obtains very generally in the United States, 
of wearinor our hats sometime after entering the church, 
and of patting them on again, almost as soon as we have 
risen from our seats. There are other considerations, in 
which an imitation of the Roman Catholics would be at- 
tended with advantage. They have connections with 
the faculty of reverence, in which my countrymen are 
said by phrenologists to be deficient. Their constant 
habit of deep reverence for their church, guards them 
aoniiist expressions of disrespect to her observances. 
We h.ivc f;ir less veneration for the sacredness of a place 
consecrated to the offices of religion, as such, than the 

30 



350 PERNAMBUCO. 

Roman Catholics have for their places of worship, and 
scenes are occurring in our churches, which a Roman 
Catholic would look upon with indignation, as a profa- 
nation of his sanctuary. That high degree of respect 
for those who are devoted to the offices of religion which 
the Roman Catholic entertains, is far less prevalent with 
us. While we speak with the utmost freedom and not 
unfrequently with disrespect of tliose whose sacred office, 
if nothing else, should teach us to revere them, the Ro- 
man Catholic would shrink from the sin of calumniating 
his priest. 

After spending half an hour or more in this church, 
we took a walk around the city commenting upon the 
appearance of the population, as we saw it represented in 
the well dressed gentleman who passed us with an im- 
portant air down to the grovelling slave, whose vacant 
look seemed almost to indicate, that "his race is a con- 
necting link between man and the inferior order of ani- 
mals," as is sometimes asserted. The free part of the 
population were very well dressed, and gentlemen in 
passing one another, raised their hats in the most grace- 
ful manner, which it would be well for Americans to im- 
itate, as a substitute for the careless nod or the cold 
" How are you ?", the customary salutation of acquaintan- 
ces in the streets. We saw numerous soldiers in the 
streets, either standing guard at the corners or before 
public buildings, or promenading like ourselves, which 
indicated very forcibly that we were in the domains of 
despotism. They are well dressed and finely formed 
young men, though rather small, and what would sur- 
prise us, who, with all our benevolence, maintain the 
strongest antipathies to our fellow men, are of all shades 
of color, from white down to the dark, wooly race of Af- 
rica, and were to be seen walking arm-in-arm in every 



THE POPULATION. 351 

direction, unconscious apparently, of any difference. 
Gentlemen of the ebony race received the sakitations of 
the whites in exchange for their own, and I could not 
but feel a sincere pity for the people of color in my own 
country, who are doomed to an inferior condition in life, 
by the deeply jBxed prejudices of society. As to the 
genuine African, whose infancy was nurtured amid the 
hot sands of the opposite continent, and who was brought 
hither in the hold of the slave ship, there seems to be 
very little hope for him. He is the most abject specimen 
of the human race I ever saw, but perhaps, is not more 
unpromising in appearance, than negro slaves, wherever 
they are found. The men that were not engaged in 
active exercise, in transporting merchandize, or in other 
laborious occupations, were employed in braiding straw 
for the manufacture of hats. Whenever there are sever- 
al of them engaged in removing a heavy article of mer- 
chandize upon their shoulders, they keep step by a mon- 
otonous grunt, "Hu, hu, hu-e !" in a similar style with 
that which obtains among the islanders of the Pacific. 
The women are the most revolting specimens of the 
fairer portion of creation I have as yet had the felicity of 
beholding. Their principal employment in the streets, 
appeared to be in carrying burdens upon their heads, 
which are protected by little pads resting upon their 
craniums. In this, they are very expert, balancing 
whatever they carry with remarkable precision, so that 
they move about with the utmost nonchalance, talking 
and laughing all the time, without disturbing their equi- 
librium. At other times they are occupied in sell- 
ing fruits and vegetables near the corners of the 
streets, for there are no houses in this city appropriated 
to markets. The population of Pernambuco is not far 
from seventy thousand, of which nearly two thirds are 



352 PERNAMBUCO. 

slaves, a state of things not more deplorable than what 
obtains in some sections of our country. The importa- 
tion of slaves is prohibited by the government, yet thou- 
sands are annually smuggled in by the connivance of 
underlings in office. 

In our ramble, we passed over two fine bridges, cross- 
ing a small river which empties into the bay, and extended 
our walk as far as the suburbs of the city, stopping fre- 
quently to admire the delightful residences of gentlemen 
of weahh, which are surrounded by ample grounds, 
crossed by elegant terraces and ornamented with lovely 
parterres. The country in the rear of the city, is higlily 
verdant, varied here and there with rich meads, which 
are overshadowed by the deuse dark foliage of the tall 
and wide spreading mango, the graceful palm, and other 
noble trees of the country. The mango is a variety of 
fruit about the size of one's fist, resembling in shape the 
fruit of the eg^ plant we have in the United States. 
When the thick rind is torn off, a rich golden yellow 
fruit is disclosed, of a fibrous nature, somewhat like that 
of a cling-stone peach, enveloping a large white pit of an 
oval form, two inches perhaps, in length, to which the 
pulp adheres with great tenacity. The flavor of the 
mango, is that of the pine-apple thoroughly impregnated 
with spruce. 

Brazil produces all the fruits of the tropics in the 
highest degree of luxuriance, and besides these, coffee is 
cultivated very extensively, so that the immense amount 
of one hundred and thirty-five million pounds is an- 
nually exported from this Empire, which is nearly one 
half of all that is consumed throughout the world. 

About five o'clock P. M , we started out for the ship 
in a clumsy Portuguese boat, and were entertained for 
more than an hour, during our slow and tedious passage 



FIRE-WORKS. 353 

by the ceaseless chattering of the negroes who rowed 
the boat. We Avere obliged to pay six dollars for 
the hire of this boat, which is a good illustration of the 
exorbitant charges for every thing we purchased at Per- 
nambuco. A ship could be provided with supplies at 
the Sandwich Islands at a far cheaper rate than at this 
city, although they are six times as far removed from 
communication with the great commercial nations. 

We found the ladies anxiously awaiting our arrival, 
and lamenting over the gloomy uncomfortable time that 
had passed during our absence, and which they were 
pleased to say, our return had tended to enliven, a state 
of affairs highly flattering to our vanity, although benev- 
olence and courtesy prompted us to express the desire 
that our welcome had been suggested by other causes. 
We were careful to reciprocate such compliments, by 
assuring them, how often, during our delightful excur- 
sion, we regretted the necessity of their remaining aboard 
the ship, and of their being denied the pleasure of a stroll 
upon terra firma. 

Sunday, January 3. We had anticipated going 
ashore this morning, to witness the ceremonies of grand 
mass, which we understood were to be celebrated with 
unusual magnificence, but the danger of the ship being 
obliged to get under way, and stand out to sea, in case 
our ground tackling should give out, detained ns aboard 
the Flora. This evening, at intervals of every few min- 
utes, rockets are seen shooting upward from the city 
with their fiery trains, and exploding in brilliant scintil- 
lations. The fire- works, we were told, were to be on the 
grandest scale, exhibiting almost every variety of pyro- 
technics, a display not very well comporting with our 
ideas of the proper observance of the sabbath, and not 
very well calculated to inspire devotional feelings in the 

30» 



354 PERNAMBUCO. 

spectators. A religion whose rites consist in a great 
degree of holidays and amusements cannot but be accep- 
table to human nature. 

Thursday^ January 7. On Monday last, we left our 
anchorage off Pernambuco, and with a fine fresh breeze, 
that swelled our sails, the shores of South America soon 
receded from view. Before long we were again upon 
the open ocean, and as sail after sail was distended to 
the breeze, that was speeding us on our course, the old 
ship seemed to wing her way, with renewed life, towards 
our dear native land. 

The supplies purchased for the ship were on a tolera- 
bly liberal scale ; as far as regards the cost of them, we 
ought most certainly to be satisfied. Owing to the ex- 
orbitant charges for every thing, a sum rather more than 
three hundred dollars was expended for articles, whose 
reasonable value could not exceed two thirds of this 
amount. Our potatoes, of which v/e had but the meagre 
supply often bushels for a voyage, ordinarily of thirty or 
thirty-five days, were found to be disappearing with the 
most alarming rapidity, when it was ascertained that they 
had been invaded by the huge rats, that throng in 
immense numbers the old Flora, and are heard racing 
about among the timbers, squealing and making 
all sorts of noises to disturb our rest at night. While 
we were at Tahiti, Captain Hall and myself had cut a 
great number of elegant orange wood canes, which were 
intended for presents to our friends at home. After we 
had been out at sea for about a month, the captain drew 
his canes out of the locker in the back of his state-room, 
when great was his astonishment and chagrin, to find 
that these beautiful sticks had been completely stripped 
of their bark by these voracious vermin. While the 
oranges I purchased at Tahiti lasted, I was accustomed 



CROSS THE EaUATOR. 355 

to look them over every morningj to throw away what 
remained of those whose contents had been purloined 
durino: the nig^ht. 

We crossed the equator this evening in longitude 37° 
5(y west, making the tenth time I have crossed it since 
leaving the United States. The children were all stim- 
ulated with the prospect of seeing the Ime, which how- 
ever, was not apparent to the unassisted vision, but 
through the spy-glass, it v/as represented in a broad 
distinct band crossing the field of view, which may be 
readily accounted for, by supposing a string to be drawn 
across one of the lenses of the instrument. 

Monday, January 11. We ran across the equator 
with a tine breeze, and were anticipating a most disa- 
greeable time in the latitude of calms and rain, but our 
expectations have been most agreeably disappointed. On 
Friday night last, the wind hauled round to the north- 
east in a heavy squall, and has continued to blow from 
that quarter ever since ; so that we left the south-east 
trade winds, to resume the north-east, without any disa- 
greeable intermission of squalls, deluging rain, with 
thunder and lightning, rendered the more intolerable by 
the suffocating heat below. This evening, we caught 
the glimmer of the north star in the mist that invests 
the horizon, after having lost sight, for so long a time 
of his friendly ray that looks mildly down upon our 
dear homes in New England. Several evenings since, 
we recognized the Great Bear, elevating his starry 
dipper above the dark waters, telling us that our wan- 
derings upon the ocean were drawing towards their 
close. 



CHAPTER XXX. 

HOME. 



Bathing — Sailor's fare — Cape Hatteras — " Land ho !" — Anchor 
AT Sandy Hook, 



Thursday^ January 21. Since leaving Pernambuco, 
we have had a very fine run, with a strong breeze all the 
time, and frequently more than would admit of our car- 
rying studding sails. To-day we passed out of the 
tropic of Cancer in the longitude of the Bermuda islands. 

Not long after doubling Cape Horn, the passengers 
adopted a course of frequent bathing, as soon as the tem- 
perature of the air and water would admit of it, which 
has been pronounced by all, to be attended with very 
beneficial effect upon the health. For the ladies, a large 
tub, which was secured by a sail supported on a frame, 
answered the purpose of a bath room. This arrange- 
ment would do very well for one person, but I did not 
much envy the seventh or eighth in the series. The 
gentlemen preferred the evening, and at half past nine 
or ten o'clock, we followed one another upon deck. The 
method we adopted had several advantages. Drawing 
twelve or fifteen buckets of water from the ocean in suc- 
cession with the draw bucket, we invert them over our 
heads, giving ourselves the advantage of the exercise, as 
well as the invigorating shock from a considerable body 



B A T H I N G i 357 

of water ; we then return to our state-rooms, and rub 
ourselves dry with coarse towels or canvass, which com- 
pletes the process, and prepares us for most delightful 
slumbers. We have pursued this course every night, 
with scarcely any intermission, for two months past, and 
there is nothing connected with sea life, I shall wish for 
a return of so much, as the refreshing baths taken every 
night. When feeling rather exhausted from the studies 
and various occupations of the day, a pure cool saltwater 
bath at ten or eleven o'clock at night, has a most aston- 
ishingly reviving effect, and I attribute the excellent 
health, I am now enjoying, to this most salutary practice. 
When aboard the North America, I was in the habit of 
carrying a basin of salt water into my state-room every 
night, and of spunging myself thoroughly before retiring, 
a practice accompanied with admirable effects. But 
there is nothing of the kind equal to the application of 
successive buckets of cool water to the person ; for a 
shock and stimulus are given to the system, which are 
extremely invigorating. 

Friday, January 22. We are now within a fortnight's 
sail of home, and as I soon expect to bid farewell to the 
ocean, upon whose restless billows I have been tossed 
incessantly for more than a year, and formed some 
acquaintance with life on shipboard, it would not seem 
an inappropriate finale, to make a connected sketch of 
the habits and mode of life of the sailor at home in his 
floating habitation ; but believing that they have been 
portrayed in what precedes, as far as my opportunities 
for observation would admit, this attempt would be but 
repetition, and all that remains for me, is to complete 
the brief outline, by bringing in what might have been 
with more propriety perhaps, introduced into a former 
page. 



358 HOME. 

The eating utensils, and the style in which the sailor 
partakes of his " gr ub," are as barbarous as his other 
accommodations. A tin cup, which serves for coffee cup, 
tea cup and tumbler, an iron spoon and a tin plate form 
his summary of eating utensils. An addition to these of 
a knife and fork, in any instance, would imply luxurious 
notions in the mind of the owner. The sheath knife, 
which hangs at his side, is his inseparable companion, 
and is devoted to a great variety of purposes. It is 
indispensible, while he is at work upon the tarred and 
"slushy" rigging; it assists him in his tailoring and shoe- 
making — cuts his tobacco and carves his meat. The 
style in which his meals are taken, is entirely primitive. 
The 'kid, a small tub, which contains the dhmer, is loca- 
ted in the centre of the circle seated upon deck, and each 
one helps himself out of it, without any scrupulous 
notions about introducing his own knife and spoon ; 
emphatically his oion^ for they are purchased out of his 
own scanty wages, or he goes without. The fare of the 
common sailor would be repugnant to the taste of any 
landsman, were he to be confined to it exclusively for 
month after month, as the sailor is obliged to be during 
a long voyage. In the morning, a piece of salt beef or 
pork with hard bread and coffee, is served out to him. 
The term coffee, conveys a luxurious idea, which van- 
ishes, however, when we are aware that it is not unfre- 
quently made out of burnt peas, or at any rate, that it is 
oi the most inferior quality. Sometimes, for variety, a 
preparation of hard bread and beef and pork is served 
up, which with some slight variation, is known by the 
elegant denominations of" lobscouse" and "lobdorainion." 
For dinner, he receives an allowance of potatoes, or some 
other vegetables — if they are not already exhausted, with 
his meat ; or in lieu of these, duif. rice or beans, which 



THE LAND. 359 

are well covered with molasses, answering to the acidu- 
lous preserves that accompany our viands. For supper, 
his tm cup full of tea sweetened with molasses, and a 
plenty of salt beef or pork and hard bread constitute his 
invariable bill of fare. The tea which sailors drink, is 
not always the growth of the celestial empire. One 
variety is said to flourish in North Carolina, and from 
the huge sticks entangled with the herb, which rise upon 
the surface of the fluid as they are successively disen- 
gaged, receives the appellation of "studding-sail boom 
tea," a A^ery expressive soubriquet. It has nearly as 
delicate a flavor as might be expected from a decoction 
of mullen stalks. 

Monday y February 1. Cape Hatteras, opposite which 
we crossed the Gulf Stream, like most high headlands, 
is famous for sudden gusts of wind, called by seamen 
" white squalls," that without any warning, strike a ship 
in all their fury, and the first intimation the navigator 
has of their presence, is indicated by the falling of the 
spars over the side of the vessel. The region of the 
ocean lying between the Bermuda Islands and this Cape, 
is noted for its squally character, particularly the vicinity 
of these islands, which was fully tested while I was in 
the North America. Hence this admonitory distich is 
treasured up in the mind of the mariner as he navigates 
these seas : 

" If Bermuda let you pass, 
Then look out for Hatteras." 

Wednesday, February 3. At daylight, this morning, 
the low outline of the coast of the United States, was 
seen stretching along to the westward of us, not more 
than ten or twelve miles off". Though the patches of 
snow, that were seen at frequent intervals along the coast, 
indicated the season of the year, yet the general aspect 






360 HOME. f 1J . 

of the country was less forbidding than I had anticipated. 
Then too, the thought that I should soon be restored to 
the circle of those I hold dear, and hear from them the 
various occurrences that had taken place during our 
Jong separation — not an inkling of which had gladdened 
my heart for a year and a half^ — was so transporting, that 
even the desolate shores of New Jersey, with iheir shorn 
and melancholy forests, and the cold atmosphere of the 
morning were far more delightful to me than the exube- 
rant verdure and balmy air of the tropics, from which 
we had not long since emerged. But a period of a year 
and a half mny have brought many sad changes, and 
while I looked upon my native land growing more and 
more distinct, with such emotions of delight, as the 
returning voyao^er alone experiences, a feeling of deep 
solicitude, that cast a shade over my fairest anticipations, 
could not be repressed. In the evening we came to 
anchor off Sandy Hook, in six months from the Sand- 
wich Islands. > 

On Friday morninjr, 1 met with my brother in New 
York; but the enquiries that on ordinary occasions 
would have been made with eagerness, were repressed 
by snd forebodings, until, assured by his manner, I ven- 
tured to make the enquiry " Are all well at home?" and 
when it was answered in the affirmative, the solicitude 
that brooded over me like an incubus, was instantly 
suceeded by unspeakable emotions of joy and gratitude. 

Courteous Render! Th<^u liast kindly accompanied 
me in my wanderings, for forty thousand miles over the 
mighty main. Our cruise is up. and as I am taking my 
parting look of old ocean, if 1 have been favored with 
thy sympathies and kindness, while voyaging with me, 
believe me , they are reciprocnted, and pern)it me to 
express the language of my heart — shipmate farewell ! 



